Shiver Shiver
by JaninaM8
Summary: AU; all human. Jane has a massive crush on Thor but he's absolutely clueless about it. Loki knows though, because her nemesis seems to know everything. In exchange for keeping her secret about Thor, Loki enlists help from Jane in writing an online profile for a dating website...
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One **

Jane knocked on the door to Thor's apartment and when she heard him approaching she smiled big and bright in anticipation. The door opened and when she saw who it was, her smile fell.

"Oh, it's you," she heard herself say.

Loki, Thor's annoying brother, just smirked. His green eyes sparkled with some kind of mischief – as they always seemed to. He was wearing his customary black pants with a green t-shirt that clung to his form. Though Jane couldn't stand Loki and hated everything he stood for, she could appreciate that he had a nice physique.

And then Thor walked in the kitchen without a shirt, and all Jane could think was 'asjadklfmgh'.

"Be nice, Loki," Thor said and Jane realized that Loki had insulted her – big surprise – and she' d missed it while drooling over Thor and his fucking amazing body._ He should always be shirtless_, Jane thought. _No, scratch that. He should always be shirtless around me. _The last thing she needed was even more competition than she already had.

Did she care enough to find out what Loki had said? She sighed. Unfortunately, yes, she did. There were only a handful of things Jane really cared about in life: her work as an astrophysicist, ogling Thor, mini-marshmallows, and putting Loki Laufeyson in his place. Was it sad that putting Loki in his place had made the list? Yes. It was. But Jane had never had a very high tolerance for pretentious, arrogant jackasses and Loki was the king of all pretentious, arrogant jackasses.

He had to be defeated.

"What now?" Jane asked on a sigh and looked at Loki, one hand on her hip.

Loki smirked – he was always smirking – and pointed at her. "The hoodie, love."

"Don't call me that," she said automatically. Jesus, how many times did she have to tell him that?

"Do you have stock in all things sweats?"

"Do you know any other colors outside of black and green?" she retorted.

He shrugged. "I go with what works."

"So do I."

He looked at her pityingly and shook his head. "Sweats never work, Jane. Never."

"Seriously, it's like you beg me to punch you in the face," Jane said, feeling her face grow hot from anger.

"Kind of like waving a red flag in front of a bull?" Loki grinned. "Not my fault if you make it easy."

Yep. Today was going to be the day she finally did it. She took a step toward him and Thor hurriedly darted in front of her, gripping her arms. "Jane, forget him. You know he likes to get you going. If you'd just ignore him he'd leave you alone."

"That's debatable," Loki said and popped what looked like a cherry tomato in his mouth.

Jane heaved a deep breath and counted to ten.

"Better?" Thor asked.

She nodded and he released her.

"Loki, why don't you go in the other room or something?" Thor suggested.

"Why do I always get banished?"

"Because you're usually the one being rude to Jane," Thor replied.

Loki shrugged and nodded, seeming to accept that, and grabbed a handful of cherry tomatoes off the vegetable platter on the counter. Jane pointed at it as Loki left the room. "What's going on? Are you having more people over?"

Thor nodded. "Fandral, Sif – did you want to invite Darcy over?"

Jane tried not to show the disappointment that coursed through her. She had been hoping that tonight it would just be her and Thor. Sure Loki was there, but he was always there. He never left. Even when he should. Although sometimes he was good about leaving her and Thor alone. Mostly when Thor made him.

Jane dug into her hoodie pocket for her phone. If Sif was coming over then she was definitely going to need Darcy. Jane had the funny feeling Sif hated her. She also had the not-so-funny feeling that Sif hated her because Sif wanted Thor, too. Then again – what red-blooded female_ didn't_ want Thor?

However, aloof and bitchy Sif seemed better suited for aloof and bitchy Loki. They genuinely seemed to get along and like each other so why didn't they make a go of it? They could go away and judge people harshly together, leaving her and Thor alone.

"Yeah, I'll give Darcy a call," Jane said as she unloaded her purse on a nearby kitchen chair. She noticed a bowl of chips and some kind of dip was on it. When had the party idea struck, and why hadn't he told her when he'd asked her to bring over a few movies?

She pulled out the movies in question: _Seven_ and the original _Night of the Living Dead. _It was the one vice usually quite logical Jane allowed herself: horror movies. She could suspend reality, plot holes, and in the case of some horror movies, physics and enjoy a good thriller.

"Excellent choices," Thor said with a smile. "What do you want on your pizza?"

"Um, just cheese…and pineapple."

"Funny. That's how Sif likes her pizza, too."

Okay, so that made at least two things she and Sif had in common. Jane ventured into the living room down the hall and then out to the balcony to call Darcy. Her best friend was hopefully not busy. A whole night with Thor's friends and having to compete with sultry Sif for Thor's attention.

"Fucking shoot me," Jane muttered as she scrolled through recent calls to Darcy's number.

"Hello!"

Jane turned her head away from her phone and scrunched up her face in pain.

"Hello? Jane?"

Jane put her phone back to her ear. "Holy eardrums, Batman. I think I just lost mine."

"Sorry. I'm at the Watering Hole and it's loud. Some dumbass college girls put 'Paradise by the Dashboard Light' on a loop. So annoying."

"Right. And I'm sure that hasn't stopped you from joining in."

"Of course not. My shoes are in the middle of the dance floor with theirs. What's up?"

"Do you think you can break away from the all girls sing-a-long and hang out with me at Thor's?"

A beat. "Why?"

Jane sighed and looked up at the sky. She couldn't see the stars tonight. She looked down. The parking lot. What a view. It underwhelmed her every time. Although it was still better than her cramped apartment with no balcony at all.

"Because as it turns out it's not just going to be me and Thor. He's invited Fandral and Sif. I need backup, Darcy. I can't do Sif alone." She made a face. "Wait. That sounded weird. You know what I mean."

"I do. She's all…sultry and shit."

"Yes! Sultry Sif. That's what I call her in my head. And I'm…well, I'm me. Awkward and weird and totally not cool."

"That's not true. I think your collection of My Little Pony is totally cool."

"Darcy, you promised we'd never speak of that!"

Darcy just laughed. "All right. I got your back, home skillet. I'll be there in ten."

Jane clicked off her phone and turned to head back inside when she let out a scream at the sight of Loki standing there with his head tilted to the side. "Sultry Sif?"

"For crying out loud, Loki! Lurk much?"

"I'm not lurking. I came out here to get some air. This is my apartment, too."

"Is it? Do you even pay rent?"

He shot her a withering glare. "As a matter of fact I sold some pieces and I was able to make rent and get groceries for me and Thor. That veggie platter? I did that."

"Great. Look, can you just pretend that you weren't eavesdropping—"

"I wasn't eavesdropping. I told you I came out here—"

"And you couldn't see me through the sliding glass door, I mean—"

"My every thought does not revolve around you Jane—"

"I never said it did."

They glared at each other.

"Just do me a solid for _once_ and forget that you heard any of that," Jane said, as close to pleading Loki as she'd ever get.

"Forget 'Sultry Sif'?" he asked with a slow-spreading grin.

"I will _pay_ you to forget all of that," she said.

"Will you also pay me to pretend I don't know just how bad you have it for my brother?"

Jane set her mouth in a firm line and looked at her nemesis.

_Fuck. _


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

"I do not have it bad for your brother," Jane said with a little laugh.

Loki rolled his eyes. "Come on, Foster. You're better than that. I'm the seasoned liar here, not you. You've been panting after him for months. And—"

"I do _not_ pant, you smug—"

"—why else would you need help handling Sif if not for the fact that the _both_ of you pant after Thor?"

"Could you please keep your voice down?" Jane hissed. He arched a brow and she rolled her eyes and said, "She hates me." Maybe she could appeal to his softer side. Did Loki even _have _a softer side? "I don't know why she does, but she does."

Loki snorted. "You know why." His voice lowered. "She wants Thor just as you do. Do you really think you're fooling anyone? Either of you – I mean honestly. You jump to do his bidding while Sif practically drapes herself all over him."

"Jealous?"

He looked alarmed by that and Jane thought, _Bingo_. _He __**does**__ have a thing for Sif._ Intrigued she moved closer to him. "You are," she said, her eyes going wide with the possibilities. "I mean it makes sense."

Loki stared at her. "What?"

"I suspected, but didn't really give it much thought."

"There's no way you could have—"

"I'll be your wingman. I mean, I know you hate me and the feeling is mutual, but if it meant taking Sif out of the picture and making you a little less. . . annoying, I would totally help you get her."

Loki shut his eyes and rubbed his forehead. "You think I have a thing for Sif."

"Don't you? You're both mean. It makes sense."

"And you'd help me get her."

Jane smiled brightly. "Of course."

Loki just stood there, looking at her. Jane's smile fell. "What?"

"That's the first time you've ever smiled at me and meant it."

"Well, you've never deserved my smiles. So, I help you, you keep your mouth shut about Thor?"

His eyes narrowed and he sank down into the plastic lawn chair behind him. "I had something else in mind actually."

"Like….?" She scrunched up her nose. "You're not actually going to make me pay you, are you?"

"Not in actual cash."

"I'm not sleeping with you," she blurted out.

He looked startled by that. "What?" He shook his head. "Why would you think _that's _what I meant?"

"Because you're gross. And you hate me that much."

His expression softened – _softened_. What the—? Jane looked around her, wondering what the hell was going on.

"Are you okay?" she asked. "Did you have too many veggies? Are they backing up on you?"

"Jane, I don't…I don't hate you," he finally said. He sounded almost weary.

"Mildly disgust you?"

He looked at her pointedly. "You irritate me."

She rolled her eyes. "What do you want, Loki?"

"I…" he sighed and shifted in the chair. He looked uncomfortable. Jane smiled. Loki Laufeyson, who walked around acting as though he was better than everyone else, who quoted Oscar Wilde and called people "Philistines" was _uncomfortable._ This was epic.

He pointed at her and said firmly, almost angrily, "You must promise not to tell anyone."

"You're going to tell me something you don't want anyone else to know? Man, this has got to be good."

He ran his hands through his shoulder-length black hair and sighed. "I made a bet with a friend."

"Nothing terrible so far…"

"We both have to put up our online profiles and whomever ends up with the most dates by the end of the month wins."

Jane gaped at him. "Wins what?"

"Laundry for a month."

"He'll do yours for a month if you win, and you'll do his for a month if he wins?"

"Yes."

"Do you hate laundry that much?"

"Yes. And it's bloody expensive, too."

Jane sighed. "You do have a point there. And I enter into this how?" She stepped back and shook her head, holding up her hands as though he was coming after her. "I'm not going on a date with you."

Loki narrowed his eyes at her. "Do _you_ hate _me_ that much?"

Now she felt guilty. Mean. Like him. But he was _terrible_ to her! How could he think that she'd feel all warm and fuzzy towards him? "Well, Loki, quite frankly….yes. You've been mean to me since I met you – and for no reason."

"Mean to you…you sound like a child complaining about a schoolmate on the playground."

"Okay, fine. You've been a complete fucking asshole. You act like you're just so much smarter and better than everyone else while you loaf off your brother. You're a hipster – and I don't mean that as a compliment. You act like people are stupid for not being into the same things you are – many of which I'm convinced are made up or you just discovered an hour before you started acting like it's always been your thing. You're pretentious, an elitist, and you dismiss people without getting to know them. You base everyone's intelligence on whether or not they are familiar with existentialism, and _again_ – all while you loaf off of Thor. I think if you want to beat this guy by getting more dates than him in a month then you're going to have to get your head out of your ass and stop acting like everyone is beneath you." Jane finished with a deep sigh that felt very much like she'd unloaded crap she'd been carrying out with her for a while. And, as a matter of fact, she had been. It felt good to get it out.

"Are you done?" Loki asked, deadpan.

He looked hurt, and though Jane felt a smidgeon of guilt, she wasn't going to apologize. Loki needed to hear those things as far as she was concerned. Perhaps she wasn't the one that should get to judge that type of thing – who did she think she was? Yet on the other hand having been on the receiving end of his derision he needed to know how he made others feel.

"Yes," she replied and braced herself for his retaliation.

"Feel better?"

"Yes. Go ahead, Loki. Give it to me."

"Give what to you exactly?"

"Come on. After all that I'm sure you're dying to tell me how stupid and worthless I am. How I don't have a shot with your brother and I'm too stupid to figure that out. Come on. I can handle it. I've been listening to your crap for over a year now."

Loki sighed and looked down, hiding his face from her. She stared down at him, feeling almost appalled. What the fuck was going on? A subdued Loki who didn't retaliate after all she'd said. She looked up and around her. Nope. No locusts dropping from the sky. No black holes. The world was not in fact ending, so….? Had she broken him?

He looked up at her, "Foster, I want your help in setting up my online profile."

"You want _me_ to help you set up an online profile."

"Yes."

"For you to date unsuspecting women."

He shot her a glare and she held up her hands. "Okay, that was a cheap shot. Sorry. But you seriously want _me _to help you? _Why_?"

"I suppose for all the reasons you just listed. You'll help me not be so…"

"Pompous? Arrogant? Pretentious?"

He glowered at her now. "Yes. You'll be honest. I need honest. I don't want to ask Thor for help. I don't even want him to know about it. Not right now. I want this to work. I would actually like to…find someone."

"What about Sif?"

"Forget Sif."

"Why?"

"Will you help me or not?"

She heaved a sigh. "And if I do you won't tell Thor about how I feel about him?"

His eyes were piercing as he looked at her. "No."

She had a feeling she was going to regret this, but if it ultimately got Loki out of her hair for a while then why the hell not? "Okay," she said. "Fine. I'll help you. Just…don't be a dick."

"Don't give me a reason to be a dick."

"Loki…"

"I'm kidding. Sort of." He stood and held out his hand. "So, we have a deal?"

Jane stared at his hand. She'd never touched Loki before. Not even accidentally. Mustering her courage, she slipped her hand into his and found his skin smooth and cool. His fingers closed around hers and he smiled – _smiled_ – at her. "Deal?" he prompted.

She nodded once. "Deal." _With, quite possibly, the devil… _


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

No sooner had Jane and Loki shook on their little deal than Thor opened the sliding glass door with a grin on his face. "Well, look at what we have here. You're both in one piece despite having been out here together for more than five minutes. Is it possible you're both growing?"

Jane casually looked over the balcony. "We're only on the second floor. It's really not high enough to do any damage."

Loki rolled his eyes and then they heard Sif and Fandral call out, "Hello!" Jane sighed, feeling as though the fun just got sucked out of this night. She sure hoped Darcy showed up soon.

"Coming!" Thor called out and Loki and Jane had no choice but to follow him back into the apartment. They passed through the living room and into the kitchen where SIf was taking a six pack of beer out of a paper bag and Fandral was munching on a chip.

Jane hated that Sif would probably look just as gorgeous if she put that paper bag on and wore it as a dress. The woman had legs that went on forever and Jane felt as though she suffered a stunt in her growth in Sif's presence. Okay, well, if she was going for complete honesty, she rather felt like a troll compared to Sif. Sif had the aforementioned long legs, svelte body, perky boobs and sleek long black hair. She had gorgeous cobalt blue eyes and she was just _perfect._

Jane felt plain. She had boring brown hair, boring brown eyes, and Goddamit, she was wearing a hoodie. Sif was wearing tight jeans – Jane was wearing loose jeans. Sif was also wearing a top that clung to her curves. Jane was wearing a baggy Old Navy shirt. And oh yes, the hoodie that Loki so hated.

_I loathe myself_, Jane thought miserably.

Even Fandral was dressed better than her. He wore jeans, black boots, and a tight t-shirt that somehow matched his straw-colored floppy hair. Thor was in something similar, but in a red t-shirt. Somehow though, they all looked better than her. It wasn't that she didn't care about her appearance but clothes were never really her forte. She went for comfort, not for style. She was comfortable in these worn jeans. She was comfortable in her Old Navy shirt and hoodie. She had to be dressed like a professional all day at work so the last thing she wanted to do at night was dress up.

Jane was struck with the sudden urge to cry. She was never going to get Thor to see her as girlfriend potential if she didn't at least _try_. God, would that be her destiny with him? Having to dress up all the damn time?

_Fucking shoot me again_, she thought.

Then Thor grinned at her and she thought maybe that wouldn't be such a terrible thing to do.

Fandral nodded towards her. "Hey, Jane."

"Hey," Jane greeted him with a smile as she stuffed her hands in the pockets of her jeans. "Hi, Sif."

Sif glanced over at her. "Hey."

Okay, as greetings went it wasn't terrible. Maybe she was just a little reserved and didn't do the warm and fuzzy. What did Jane expect anyway? For Sif to hug her and greet her as though they were bff's like Darcy did?

Yes, that was exactly what she expected. It was a thing with Jane. She didn't usually spend too much time worrying about what people thought of her, but for some reason when it came to what Sif thought of her, she did. Jane figured it was because the other woman was just that – the other woman. Plus, she represented all those bitches in high school and college who looked down their nose at Jane because _gasp, shudder_ – Jane preferred being smart over being easy. Not that Sif was easy and not smart. She was smart.

And a complete bitch.

"Who picked out these movies?" Sif said with a laugh as she picked up the DVD's Jane had brought over. "They're kind of lame."

Case in point.

"I picked them out," Jane said. "Have you seen them?"

"Obviously," Sif said as she wandered over to the utensil drawer and pulled out a bottle opener. "Otherwise I wouldn't have called them lame."

"How can anyone think _Seven_ is lame?" Loki spoke up. "Kevin Spacey is brilliant in this movie. The story is original. The murders quite…creepy. It has a story, which is not the case for most horror movies these days. What exactly is your beef with it, Sif?"

Jane looked at Loki wide-eyed. What the fuck? Was he actually _defending_ her? Wait. This was Loki. He wasn't defending her, he was defending the movie. Jane held off on all the benevolent thoughts she could start thinking about him and just waited.

"It's better than some of the mindless gore fests Jane usually goes for," Loki said.

_And we're back_, Jane thought.

Sif just shrugged. "But Thor…look what I brought." She dug into her purse on the table and extracted Skyrim."

Well, that sealed it. Jane had lost Thor completely and this round definitely went to Sif – if Thor's shout of excitement was anything to go by. Sif, Fandral, and Thor could play well video games well into the night.

All Jane could think as she stood there trying so very hard to appear calm and casual was, "Fuck you, you fuckin' fuck." Directed, of course, to Sif.

"Jane, do you mind if we play one round first?" Thor asked, looking all sweet and apologetic.

"Of course not," Jane said with a wave of her hand.

"Perhaps while they play, you, Darcy and I could watch _Seven_ in my bedroom," Loki suggested.

Jane looked at him sharply. "What?"

"While they play, we could watch _Seven_," Loki repeated. "In my bedroom. Where I have a TV. And a DVD player."

She looked towards the window. No locusts yet. The sky wasn't turning orange. "Uh…ok."

"Heyyyy!"

Darcy had finally arrived, and with the pizza man on her heels. After that, they all seemed to split off into pairs. Instead of ending up by Thor as Jane wanted, Sif did. Her body sort of blocked Thor from everyone else and Jane thought Sif might as well just pee on him to mark him as her territory. Then,Fandral and Darcy started to chat, and that left Loki and Jane.

Giving up entirely, Jane sank down against the cabinets and sat down right on the floor. She looked down grumpily at the soggy piece of pineapple pizza on the white paper plate and wanted to just go. What was the point in staying? The night was ruined.

Loki sank down on the floor beside her and Jane stiffened. It was a knee jerk reaction to Loki. Where Loki was, an insult was sure to follow. Though their "deal" seemed to have inspired some kind of truce, Jane was no fool She didn't trust Loki as far as she could throw him.

"You don't like Sif anymore than you like me, but with her you back down. With me, you give me all sorts of hell right back. Why is that?" Loki asked without any preamble.

"I don't know," Jane lied.

"Do you have a thing for her, too?"

Jane shot him a look and picked off a piece of pineapple from her pizza. "What's the point in fighting with her? Why even bother?"

"This is not the Jane Foster that told me not an hour ago how I was basically a mooch and a hipster. That Jane had fire. This Jane is rolling over and playing dead."

"Why do you even care?"

"I don't. I just want to understand. You're a bit of a mystery to me. Full of piss and vinegar with me and anyone else that dares to make you feel less than you are, but with Sif, you're a skittish kitten."

"You'll have to forgive me for not wanting to confide in you. I don't trust you."

"Fair enough. Though I would like to point out that I trust you enough to help me with something…delicate."

"A profile is delicate?"

"For me it is."

Jane frowned and considered this. "Maybe I'll do the same thing."

"What?"

"Maybe I'll join in on this wager of yours. Not make a bet on it that involves laundry, cause no, but kind of an unofficial bet just to see how many dates _I_ can get."

Loki frowned. "And what of Thor?"

She looked over at Sif and Thor laughing together across the room. "Fuck him." She straightened against the cabinet. "I'm done as of right now."

Loki snorted.

"Oh, shut up."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

Somehow, even though Darcy was there for Jane, she ended up in the living room with Sif, Fandral, and Thor watching Sif and Thor play a round of Skyrim. Jane knew she'd lost her best friend when Fandral asked if she would like a go at the game as well.

"Darcy has forsaken me," Jane said in faux despair as she looked longingly down the hall from Loki's open door. She was rather put out to be sure, but her tone indicated a death rather than her friend wanting to try a video game.

"If you're going to be overly dramatic then you can join them and leave me," Loki said as he placed the DVD in his DVD player.

Jane rolled her eyes and turned to face him, closing his door behind her. "Don't start with me, Loki."

He looked at her and held up his remote in one hand. "Are we going to watch the movie or not?"

Jane frowned. "What is it about her?"

"Pardon?"

"What is it about her that you like?"

He sighed. "You mean Sif."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Of course. You, Thor, possibly Fandral, too. What is it about her that makes all you men go ga-ga over her?"

Loki threw his head back and laughed. "You can't be that dense, Jane."

"Pardon?"

"Or perhaps it's that you're too self-absorbed," Loki said thoughtfully, stroking an imaginary beard.

"Now hold on just a—"

"More likely, just too consumed with my brother," he muttered. "Jane, darling, Fandral is not interested in Sif at all. He's interested in Darcy."

Jane decided to ignore the 'darling' bit in favor of Loki's revelation. Now that she thought about it, it made sense. When Darcy and Fandral were in the same room together they always ended up talking and now that she _really_ thought about it – Fandral was always the one seeking her out.

"Huh," she murmured. "Well, now I really can't be all that upset that she's out there instead of in here with me. Even if I do feel like a pathetic loser." She looked at Loki. "So then explain to me why you have a thing for Sif. Is it the way she dresses? Is it that 'I'm-too-cool-for-everyone-and-everything' attitude that she has going on? Or is that really just reserved for me? Although you have the same attitude so I can see why you would like her. What else about her though? I need to know."

Loki just looked at her. "Why do you need to know if you're putting Thor behind you?"

She just looked at him. "Seriously?"

"So you don't plan on putting an online profile up?"

"Oh, I do. What have I got to lose at this point?"

Loki pursed his lips together.

"So, tell me, Loki. What is it about Sif that brings all the boys to her yard?"

Loki rolled his eyes, but Jane could see the beginnings of a grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. He sat down on his bed and looked at her. "Well, for one, she doesn't use lame references."

Jane ignored him. "She dresses better than I do. She's got legs that go on forever. She always wears makeup, and she's graceful. I'm a klutz. I don't like wearing makeup all the time, and I definitely don't dress like I'm about to walk down a runway all the time either. She always seems to know exactly what to say and I don't. I don't have that innate coolness that she does. I suppose I'm boring."

"You're not boring, Foster. But I'm beginning to think you want to date her instead."

"Of course I'm not boring to you. You delight in giving me crap. You don't pick on Sif the way you do me though. Is it because you know she'd kick your ass?"

Loki looked at her witheringly. "Sif would not kick my ass."

"It's cute how you think she wouldn't. She probably does something cool like kickboxing or karate, too. I'm more of the pull your hair and kick you in the balls kind of girl."

Loki stood abruptly, causing Jane to jump and he stalked over to her, pointing at her. "Stop it right now. I'm not listening to this pity party of yours any longer. If you want to know what the difference is between you and Sif is it's that she wouldn't stand here listing her faults and feeling sorry for herself. If she felt as insecure as you sound then she'd do something about it."

"She probably doesn't feel insecure about anything."

"Everyone has insecurities, Jane."

"Even you?"

He didn't answer her, just turned and walked back to his bed. He sat down and pointed to the chair he'd pulled out from his desk. "Sit."

She frowned and leaned back against the door. "I don't feel like sitting. And I don't feel like watching a movie." She looked around his room. A king sized bed, a desk with a laptop on top, a printer on the floor. A couple bureaus, and a small entertainment system that held his TV, DVD player and various DVD's. There was an iPod docking system on his desk and his iPod was mounted on it. His walls were utterly bare and a boring beige color. "Why don't you put any of your artwork up?" she asked as she made her way over to his desk.

"What are you doing?" he asked as she picked up his iPod.

"Looking at the music you listen to. If I'm going to help you write your profile then I need to learn a few things about you. So why don't you hang up any of your artwork?"

Loki didn't answer her. He just sat there and watched her. She looked up at him. "You have jazz on your iPod."

"Is there a problem with that?" he asked on a sigh.

"No. I like jazz. You just never struck me as the type to like it."

"Likewise."

She shrugged and continued to scroll through his iPod. After a minute she put the iPod down and looked at him, placing her hands on his desk behind her. "Well? Why don't you put your artwork up?"

He sighed and ran a hand through his dark hair. "I suppose I don't like the idea of anyone just walking in here and seeing a piece of me on the walls."

"But you sell your work to people."

"But I don't know them and they don't know me."

"Ah, I see. So you don't like the idea of someone like myself or Thor or anyone else that passes through here and knows you on some level being able to see your artwork that you've put your heart and soul into." She arched a brow. "You're afraid to be judged. Is that why you judge others so harshly?"

"I do not—"

"Oh, God, Loki, don't even. Having been on the receiving end of your derision, I think I can safely say that you are judgmental. You do it to Thor, too. You think he's sheep, you think he's a kiss ass to your father, you think he worries too much about appearances. He is your father's right hand man in the family business—"

"Foster, if you're now going to go on at length about Thor's many wonderful attributes as you see them then you can leave."

"Jesus, what crawled up your ass and died?"

"You came in here to watch a fucking movie and all you've been doing since is wallowing in self-pity, comparing yourself to Sif, and then telling me what a terrible person I am compared to Thor! I don't want to fucking hear it!" he exclaimed.

"Stop yelling at me!"

"Then stop talking and watch the goddamn movie with me!"

"Yeah, because that's what I want to do. Sit here after you've yelled at me and watch a movie with you!"

"Then leave!"

"I will," she seethed and stormed out of his bedroom. She went down the hall to tell everyone she was leaving. She was done with this shit. Done with Thor, done with Loki, done with Sif – done with everything.

"I'm leaving," she announced.

Thor looked up from the screen at her and then his gaze skittered back to the TV. "That lasted about as long as I thought," he said. "Why don't you come out here and have a go with the game?"

"No, I'm going. I'll talk to you later." She turned before she could see Sif looking all smug and headed toward the door, grabbing her purse off the table on the way. She had just gotten to the door and had her hand on the door knob when she heard Darcy say, "Jane, wait. Don't go."

Jane turned to face her friend. "I'm done with tonight. It sucks up one side and down the other and the last thing I want to do is go back in there and—" She stopped when Thor entered the kitchen looking contrite.

"Why don't you stay?" he asked softly. "Come on. I promise that after we're done we'll watch the movie."

"No," she shook her head. "Because you're not going to be done with the game. I know better than that."

"Jane—"

"I'm going. Have fun." She pulled her arm from his grasp and walked out.

"You could play a round, you know. I could teach you," Thor called after her.

"Nope," she said. For once she wasn't going to let Thor charm her into doing what he wanted her to do. She hated this part more than anything. She'd be seen as the one having a temper tantrum but really, why should she be cast into a bad light for this? She had come to his apartment to do one thing – watch movies – and had ended up hanging out with fucking Loki of all people. And all because fucking Sif had brought a goddamn video game. Fuck it. Fuck it all.

Darcy bounded down the stairs after her. "Jane, just wait. Let me grab my purse."

"No," Jane said and turned to face her friend. "Go be with Fandral. Thank you for coming, and I'm sorry if I'm being some kind of party pooper, but I just…" she shook her head lest she give into the tears that threatened to fall. "I'm just done. Please. Go be with Fandral. I can tell he likes you and I think you like him."

Darcy smiled softly. "I do."

"Then go."

"But you're upset!"

"I'll be fine. I just want to go home. I'll call you tomorrow. Please go, Darc. One of us should have a successful night with the guy we like."

Darcy didn't look sure still, but Jane hugged her quickly and said, "I'll be fine, I promise. Just do a me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Kick Sif's ass in that game for me."

Darcy smiled widely. "Way ahead of you, my friend."

When Jane got home she felt a bit like acting out that scene in Bridget Jones's Diary and opening a vat of ice cream while playing "All By Myself" and singing into her spoon. She didn't though. Instead she sat on her bed and stared at her open closet. It was divided into her casual attire which consisted of jeans and sweats, and then work clothes, which consisted of pant suits. There had to be some kind of middle ground in there. Loki had said if she didn't like something she should change it. Big talk coming from him, but that was a different story altogether.

If she wanted Thor to give her some kind of chance she was going to have to do something about the way she presented herself. The fact that what she wore should not be the thing that attracted Thor to her was nice in theory, but it wasn't realistic. If she presented to him that she didn't care and looked like a frump, then she would be seen as a frump. And even though it went against everything she believed in, she was determined to prove to Sif that she was just as much a contender as Sif was.

So. It looked like she was going to do the thing she hated most in the world – next to being forced to talk to Loki: shop.


	5. Chapter Five

Chapter Five

Loki sat on a park bench the following afternoon near downtown Boston and fired off a text to Jane that simply said:_ It's Loki. Can we meet?_

Loki watched the screen of his phone, waiting for it to say "Message Sent". He continued to stare at it for a few beats wondering if she would even respond to him after the night before.

She had been pretty angry when she'd left and though Loki knew he had been a little rough with her and he did feel a little bad about that, he had also reached his limit with her prattling on about Thor and comparing herself to Sif.

It had irritated him to no end how she had talked so terribly about herself. It also irritated him to no end that he had probably had something to do with how she saw herself considering how much he picked on her.

It had never occurred to Loki that Jane didn't realize just how beautiful she was. How smart. How she was completely _not_ boring. He didn't pick on Sif the way he picked on Jane because he simply didn't care one whit about Sif. Sif _was_ actually boring to him. There wasn't any depth there as far as Loki could tell. She didn't have the same passion inside her that Jane did. Loki loved how one comment from him could have Jane flaring up into a glorious temper. She was beautiful when she was angry.

How in the _world_ did Jane think he had a thing for Sif?

He knew how immature it was to pick on Jane as he did. It was the equivalent of pulling her pigtails on a playground to show her he liked her. But he couldn't stop. How else was he to snare her attention away from Thor? If he didn't engage her in verbal sparring he was likely to be delegated to the background while she fawned all over Thor.

As far as Loki was concerned, his brother had enough people fawning all over him. He didn't need anyone else to cater to that massive ego of his…even if Thor was actually pretty humble and kind…and now even _he_ was defending his enemy in the quest for Jane's affections! How did Thor do it?

His phone beeped and Loki looked down at it, feeling the anticipation of her response already. _How did you get my number? _was the return reply.

He'd have to explain to Jane how he'd snagged her number off Thor's phone so he could message her. He wouldn't tell her that he'd done it a year ago after her first visit to the apartment. He also wouldn't tell her how he'd often stared at her name on his phone and thought about calling her out of the blue just to see what she was doing, just to make her wonder what the hell he was up to. The thought never failed to make him smile.

Now, he also knew Jane wasn't stupid and could probably figure out how he'd gotten her number. He couldn't resist giving her some crap for asking such a question. He was about to text _How do you think? _When a new message came in from her_: Never mind. I know how. Thor. _

Loki grinned and murmured, "That's my girl." He fired off another text: _Yes. So, can we meet? I'll buy you a coffee. _

He tried not to think about what a pathetic sod he was for staring at his phone waiting for her to respond.

_I'm really not in the mood to be kicked around this afternoon, Loki. _

Loki frowned and felt a pang of guilt. _No kicking_, he wrote, _I promise. We'll get right down to business. _

He could practically _see_ her sighing.

_I don't know, Loki…_

Loki scowled at the phone and fired off a quick message that would probably get her dander up: _Remember our deal. _

_Have I mentioned today how much I hate you? _she replied.

That stung, but it was also not very surprising. _You can tell me when we meet. Au Bon Pain at 2?_

_Fine. I hate you._

Loki sighed. _I know._

Jane walked into Au Bon Pain with her laptop bag slung over her shoulder and a few shopping bags in her hand. She found Loki waving to her across the room in a corner booth and she muttered about how much she hated people and Boston on Saturdays as she made her way over to him. She sat down and glared at him. " You beckoned, your Imperial Pain in the Ass?"

He laughed and then frowned and pointed to the Boston Red Sox cap she wore. "What's with the Red Sox hat?"

Did Jane want to tell Loki that she'd gone to get a trim and the hair stylist had styled her hair all poofy and annoying and not at all sexy and stylish? She'd gone for a trim, not a bouffant. A bouffant is what she'd walked away with though.

"I just threw it on," she muttered.

He pointed to the bags at her feet. "And those?"

"I went shopping."

"You hate shopping."

Jane stared at him. "How do you know I hate shopping?"

"Because you've said so."

While Jane was still trying to wrap her mind around this, Loki grabbed one of the bags and peered inside. Jane snapped out of her stupor and snatched it away from him.

"Tell me you're not really planning on changing your appearance for Thor."

"Maybe," Jane said and lifted her chin.

"Foster, what the hell are you thinking? You don't think Sif will see what you're doing a mile away?"

"So?"

"So, it's madness, Jane. If you feel you have to twist yourself into a pretzel to impress my lunkhead of a brother then it's not your clothes you need to change."

"You're the one that made fun of my outfit last night!" she yelled at him, not caring about how many people turned to look at them.

"Do you really think I give a bloody damn what you wear?"

"Yes! No! I don't know anymore! God, you're infuriating," she hissed. "That's it. Tell Thor. Tell him how I feel, I don't give a shit. I am not helping you."

Loki stood and grabbed her bags out of her hand. "Stop, Jane. Just stop. I'm…I'm sorry."

She glared at him. "How painful was that?"

He shot her a look. "I'm not trying to be difficult—"

"Who the hell are you kidding?"

"You shouldn't have to change everything about yourself to please anyone, least of all myself and Thor!"

"I am not doing _any_ of this for you," she said through clenched teeth. "I don't give a crap what _you_ think of me."

"Fine. Extend that to Thor." He sat down and plucked the bags out of her lax fingers. He placed them next to him on the booth. "Jane, Thor does not care what you wear. You know he's not the type to care what a person wears."

"Spare me. I've heard the 'just be yourself' and 'all that matters is what's on the inside' garbage before. It's a nice sentiment, but it doesn't really hold true in the real world. Sif dresses like a damn supermodel and—"

"And he's still not dating her, is he?"

He had a point. A very good point. Jane sat back down.

"I know you, Jane. You're not the sort to doll yourself up every day. It would exhaust you. You wouldn't be happy pretending to be something you're not. Why do you think Sif is such a bitch all the time? She's uncomfortable."

That caused a giggle to burst forth from Jane and she looked at Loki with wide eyes. "Did you really just make me _laugh_?"

Loki grinned and sat back. "It would appear that I did."

"Tell me, do you see the Four Horsemen behind me?"

Loki laughed. "The apocalypse is not coming today, Jane. Will you stay?"

She sighed and nodded. "I'll stay. "

"I'll even come with you later to help you return those items."

"Nah," Jane said and proceeded to set her laptop bag down. "I might try out a few of them and see how I feel. Besides, if I'm going to start dating I'll need something nice to wear, right?"

Loki frowned as he watched her take her laptop out of its bag. "I suppose you will. So you're going to set yours up today as well?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"Why not indeed," he murmured.


	6. Chapter Six

**Chapter Six**

Jane peered over her laptop at Loki and frowned. He'd been tapping away at his profile for the past ten minutes and she was a little worried about what he was typing. She'd agreed to look at it after he was done and before he posted the final draft, but she was getting antsy. What would someone like Loki Odinson put on his profile? Good God, she could just imagine!

"I see you looking at me, Foster. What do you want?" Loki said, never taking his eyes off the screen.

"Tell me, under the list of personality traits is 'arrogant ass' listed? Because don't forget to check that one off," she told him.

Loki smirked, his eyes still on the screen before him. "Have I said something wrong?"

"Yes. 'What do you want?' It was rude."

"I hadn't realized," he said and finally looked up at her. "But, did you want something?"

"Yes."

"So, then asking—"

"It was still rude. Be less rude."

"I feel as though someone is pitching a moody here. And it isn't me."

This could go on all day. Instead, Jane stood up and moved around the table to where Loki was sitting in the booth half of their table. Since no one was currently sitting near them, she made a 'shoo' motion with her hands. Loki arched a brow. She shot him a look and folded her arms across her chest. Finally, Loki rolled his eyes and slid to the side.

The first words that caught Jane's eye was 'sexually adventurous'. "Uh, what?" she mumbled and read the sentence attached to that phrase: I prefer a woman who is sexually adventurous. If you must pretend that you are not for some misplaced propriety—

"No," Jane said and sat back. "Just no."

"What?"

"Are you looking for dates or for one night stands?"

He considered this. "Well, I wouldn't be opposed to having sex, Jane. Would you?"

"Don't be gross."

"Are you saying sex with me would be gross?"

She cocked her head to the side. "Are you propositioning me?"

He laughed. "No. I just meant that I think you could stand to…"

"Get laid? Yeah, tell me about it. So could you."

"Well, I am trying, but you're telling me no," he said and gestured to the computer screen.

"Yeah, because as a woman with a brain in her head, if I read that I would either send you an email telling you what a jackass you sound like or move right on to the next profile. Women do not go on these sites to just 'hook up', Loki."

"I don't really think you can be so definitive about such a thing. Statistically speaking—"

"You're doing this to win a bet of who can get the most dates in a month. You'll have more success not sounding like some pretentious sex maniac." She leaned in closer to the screen. "What else have you got here…oh for crying out loud. Is knowing Plato's allegory of the cave really necessary?" She looked at him incredulously.

He shrugged. "I prefer to weed out simpletons."

"You're going to weed out everyone at this point aside from other elitist snobs."

"You know the allegory of the cave. We've talked about it."

"Argued about it."

Loki grinned. "Jane, it was a friendly discussion. Even when you threw that goblet at my head."

"Not a shining moment. You goaded me into an argument and I fell for it."

"The point is that you could hold your own with me."

Jane blinked. "Did you just compliment me?"

He nodded once. "Do you find it a compliment to be able to hold your own with me?"

She wagged a finger at him and chuckled. "I see what you did there."

He smiled. "Do you?"

"Yes, and I'm not taking the bait. See, Loki, I don't think it takes a special sort of person to be able to 'hold their own with you'. I'm beginning to think that those who prefer to run the other way might be the smartest ones yet."

"And yet here you sit," he said and leaned toward her with what could only be described as a lascivious smirk. Something about that and the sudden invasion of her space unnerved Jane. She noted the musky scent of cologne. She liked it. That unnerved her too.

She reared back and pushed him on the spot of flesh just below his shoulder. It was rock hard and it made her gut clench. She moved her hand off him and drew a semi-circle in front of her with her hand. "This is my dance space." She then drew a semi-circle in front of him. "That's yours."

He smirked but said nothing and Jane turned back to his profile. She set about deleting the section on "What I'm Looking For" and ignored Loki groaning as if in agony beside her.

"All right, so," she said and placed her hands over the keyboard in typing position. "How do we get you what you want and hopefully what you need?"

"What I need? Since when do you care about what I need?"

Jane looked over at him, her hands still in position. "Loki, do you really want to just go out on a bunch of dates just to win a bet and not consider the fact that you could also be using this as an opportunity to meet the one?"

His head tipped back as he barked out a laugh. "The one? Christ, who knew you were so sentimental?"

"I can be," she said indignantly.

"Well, I suppose even though you are a scientist you are an astrophysicist at that so I suppose a bit of whimsy – ow!" He rubbed his arm and glared at her. "Was hitting me really necessary, Foster?"

"Yes. Don't be an insensitive prick."

"You have quite a lot of rules for me. Don't be this, don't do that…when it's time for me to look at your profile may I apply some rules to you as well?"

She snorted. "You're not looking at my profile, Loki."

"Why not?" he asked indignantly.

"You asked for my help. I didn't ask for yours."

"You don't think that yours will need any tweaking?"

"Nope. And even if it did…"

"Oh, I see." He looked down and then away and Jane had the terrible sense that she'd hurt him. she moved her fingers off the board and turned to face him.

"Loki," she said and then stopped. She didn't really know what to say. Did she apologize? Did she and Loki apologize to each other? Although, he had apologized to her earlier…"I'm sorry," she said softly.

"Well, it's not like we're friends, right?" he said and looked at her. He shrugged. "You've made that abundantly clear."

Despite the fact that she felt bad for making him feel bad, Jane refused to take all this on herself. "Now hold on a second here," she said. "You're blackmailing me into helping you. That doesn't exactly speak of friendship, Loki. Not to mention the fact that as I have mentioned before it's not like you've made things easy on me. You'll have to excuse me for not thinking this—" she gestured between them and the computer "makes us friends."

"Honestly, Foster, I've never hated you and in some weird way – I've always thought of us as friends. The idea that I hate you is something you created in your own mind."

She gaped at him and he just looked at her, awaiting a response. When it was clear he wasn't going to get one he cleared his throat and held out his hand. "Friends?"

She looked at his hand. "Does this mean you won't give me a hard time anymore?"

He cocked his head to the side. "Does that sound like me?"

She frowned. "No."

"Secretly, I think you like it," he whispered conspiratorially.

She looked at him witheringly. "Do I, Loki? Do I?"

"How about I promise to give you _less_ crap."

"Especially about Thor."

Loki groaned and his head fell forward. "You're killing me, Foster."

"Promise."

He lifted his head and nodded. "I promise."

She frowned. "Perhaps we should do a trial run before we commit to—"

"_Jane._"

She sighed and slid her hands into his for the second time in two days. And still there were no signs of the apocalypse. She wasn't sure she would ever stop waiting for it. She also wondered if perhaps she shouldn't have put more conditions on their friendship before shaking his hand. Well, this would just be her living life on the edge.

His smile was triumphant. Of course. "Can I see your profile now?" he asked.

She sighed and looked at him. "Oh, Loki…


	7. Chapter Seven

**Chapter Seven**

"All right, I think we finally got it," Jane said as she clicked "Save & Post" on Loki's profile. "It only took three hours," she added with a mutter.

"That's because you didn't like anything I had to say," Loki said and Jane realized just how close he actually was to her. She could feel his breath on her ear and she turned to look at him, his green eyes right in front of her. She blinked and pushed him back. "My dance space, your dance space…remember?"

He settled back into the booth. "Now that you've probably found me some simpering miss, what's next?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Loki, we agreed on your interests and what you're looking for. Just because I didn't put in 'sexually adventurous' and took out the bit on Plato's Allegory of the Cave, does not mean that I found you some simpering miss. You'll attract a nice, intelligent woman with this profile. Trust me."

He smiled and it was actually kind of a sweet smile which made her stare at him a little longer than needed. "I do, Foster," he said, his voice a rumble deep in his chest which caused Jane to then shiver a bit. "I do trust you."

Jane looked away from him and back at the profile. What the hell was going on? "Uh, next is your picture. Do you have one in mind or…?"

"I don't. We'll need to take one."

"Give me your phone," Jane said and maneuvered her way out of the booth without much contact with Loki. Of course he refused to move an inch to let her by. She took his phone after he readied the camera for her and she looked at him with her head tilted to the side. "Spread your arms out on the back of booth…now smile. No, that's a smirk, Loki – wait. We can use that. Okay, smirk!"

Jane stepped back until she could get all of him in the picture and she had to admit that he was quite handsome like this. Inviting, even, in a sexual way with that pose and that smirk and the black jeans and green button down with the first couple buttons undone. He was all legs; he towered over her when he stood. He was long and lean with alabaster skin and she knew he'd get some Goth chicks clicking on his profile. His hair had a slight curl to it as it fell around his shoulders and Jane wondered if it was soft.

And why was she thinking about Loki's attributes? Oh yes. Because she had been forced to for the past three hours. After the picture was snapped she looked at him thoughtfully. "You know, I'm surprised you put down romantic as one of your attributes," she said.

"Why?"

"I didn't peg you as the romantic type I guess," she replied. "If you get a 'simpering miss' then that could be why," she teased.

He laughed softly and Jane hurriedly snapped another picture, hissing at him to not drop that smile. She bit her lip as she looked at the two pictures and nodded. "Yep. Those two are perfect. Can you get on the site and upload them to your profile?" she asked as she handed him his phone back and plunked back down in the seat she'd abandoned earlier. He frowned slightly as he watched her and then nodded and busied himself with the photos.

Loki busied himself with uploading the photos to his profile on his phone, thinking that a. he wished she would sit beside him again and b. thank God she had not found the photo he had snapped of her a few weeks back. She'd been visiting at the apartment and out on the balcony with Thor. She had been laughing about something Thor had said and her laugh and that smile and struck him square in the chest. He'd snapped the photo quickly and like the lovesick sap that he pathetically was, he'd often looked at that picture and run his fingers over it, wishing that she would respond to him the same way.

_One day_, he promised himself. _One day she would._ He was already planting the seed and from how she'd looked at him a few times already, it was working. Jane was becoming aware of him now. Aware of him as more than just Thor's brother who picked on her. She was noticing him.

"So, tell me," he said and looked at her while she clacked away on her laptop. "What sort of man is your type – barring Thor."

She stopped typing and looked at him. "My type? Well, someone smart, preferably a scientist but as you can see I am pretty lax on that. I suppose at least a working knowledge of some science would be nice, but again, not a deal breaker…well…not really I guess. Us scientists tend to get caught up in our work and not really think of anything else but that and I like the idea of someone taking me out of that world for a while and forcing me to think about other things. Normal things."

"Define normal."

"Things like eating and sleeping," she said with a laugh. "Seriously, I can get so wrapped up in work that I forget to do those things. But when I do get around to eating, it would be nice to have something better than Ramen noodles. It would also be nice to do things like go to the movies and attend plays and concerts and really just have a life outside of the lab."

"Speaking of food, are you hungry? I find I am," Loki asked as he stood. "Why don't we grab something to eat while we're here and waiting for the messages to come pouring through on my profile."

"Someone's sure of themselves."

"Of course," he said with a grin. "What would you like?"

"Well, I'll come with you obviously," she said and got up, grabbing her purse. Together they walked to the counter and stood back to look up at the menu.

"Can I help you?" a woman behind the counter asked them.

Loki placed his hand on the small of Jane's back and pushed her forward. "You first, love. My treat."

The look on Jane's face amused Loki. She was confused, unbalanced by his behavior toward her and Loki reveled in it. This was how he would ultimately win her – keeping her off balance, revealing himself to her slowly, and making her trust in him.

His plan would work. It already was. The only problem was how in the hell was he going to keep Jane from dating…

"Three new messages."

Jane looked up from her soup. "What?"

"I have three messages."

"Already?"

Loki grinned. "I told you."

She got up and moved back over to his side, making him move to give her room to slide back in the booth. "Do you mind?" she asked and clicked on one of the messages without waiting for a reply.

He chuckled next to her , but Jane was too busy staring at the blond buxom woman that was practically busting out of the tank top she was wearing in her picture. "Absolutely not," Jane blurted out.

"Why not? She looks nice."

"Yeah, you mean her boobs look nice. No. Loki, she – wait. Why do I care? This is about quantity, not quality, right? Okay, never mind. Go for it."

She scooted back out of the booth and resumed eating her dinner. Loki just looked at her. He looked disappointed for some reason. "What?" she asked.

He shrugged, his expression slipping back into his usual nonchalance. "Well, then. I suppose I will give her a go," he murmured and began typing away.

_She could be perfectly nice and intelligent and exactly what he's looking for, _Jane thought as she busied herself with eating. _Just because she looks like a bimbo doesn't mean that she actually is. And why do I even care? I know why. Because I helped him write that damn profile and I feel like I have some stake in how it all turns out. Loki Odinson could actually find someone to put up with his bullshit. However, I do not know better than him what he needs. Although I do know that while Loki thinks he wants someone hanging off his every word and doing his bidding I know he'd be bored to tears with someone like that. But whatever. He'll figure it out. _

"Message sent," he announced.

"Great," she said and took a look at her profile. It was actually an old profile she had up eons ago and then had disabled. All she'd really had to do was update it. Now that was done and yet she was still letting it sit there. She was one click away from joining the dating world, and yet she hesitated. Why?

Because, Thor.

But maybe this would help her with Thor. If he knew was going out on dates, putting herself out there and not making herself available like some pathetic lap dog all the damn time…

That did it. She hit "Save & Post" and heaved a deep breath as though she'd run a marathon. She sat back and found Loki looking at her. "All right?" he asked.

"I just posted my profile."

He shifted in his seat. "Oh? Let me see if I can find you on here."

"You won't."

He looked up. "Oh?"

"I'm on a different site than yours."


	8. Chapter Eight

**Chapter Eight**

Loki wrapped his hand around his aching cock and stroked it up to the tip where he squeezed the head and then moaned. He'd woken from a dream about Jane riding him into oblivion and now he had to find some way to relieve the tension. The woman was going to be the death of him.

"Do you need some help with that?" purred a sultry voice beside him. Loki's eyes widened when he looked over and found Jane sitting up beside him with a seductive smile curling her lips.

"J—Jane?" Loki stammered for perhaps the first time in his life.

"I hope you don't mind. I haven't been able to sleep for thinking about you and all that we could possibly have together…" she climbed over him and his breath caught at the sight of her in boy shorts and a flimsy tank top that left nothing to the imagination. She placed her hands on either side of his head and leaned down. Loki leaned up, desperate to kiss her, to taste her, but she just grinned and leaned back. He watched in fascination as she simply pulled the flimsy material to her boy shorts aside and sank down on his hard length.

Loki bucked up and cried out. Never had he been encased in such gloriousness. She was so wet and warm and his mouth watered with the desire to taste her. "Kiss me," he rasped. "Now. Jane, please." He reached up for her, wanting that kiss so bad, but she merely laughed and rode him harder.

"Jane, kiss me," he begged. Loki Odinson did _not_ beg. _Ever._ He also didn't feel so out-of-control in his lust. With lovers in the past he always controlled everything about his encounters. He knew how to tease and seduce and bring his lovers to their breaking point and then bring them down just enough to bring them there again and again until they were begging him for release. One stroke inside Jane and he was ready to lose it already.

He was starving for her.

"Jane," he breathed as she undulated over him. He started to sit up and she moved lightning fast and pinned him to the bed with her hands. "Kiss me!" he growled.

"Not. Until. You. Come."

And then he did. His eyes were squeezed tight and he was gasping and jerking inside her as he came and came and came. When he opened his eyes she was gone.

It was then that Loki realized with frustration that it had just been a dream. His hand was in fact wrapped around his cock and he had in fact come, too. He groaned and stared up at the ceiling. All right. Jane had managed to thwart him by having her profile on another site and somehow the little minx had managed to distract him enough to stop asking what site she was on.

He needed to find out. And he needed to see her, alone. Spending time with her without Thor blinding her had been wonderful. Sitting close to her in that booth, inhaling her sweet scent and being able to feel the heat of her body on his skin…

His cock was hardening again. Loki reached down to grasp it and imagined Jane under him this time…

XXXXXXXXXX

Jane had to admit it. She was feeling rather giddy. It was silly, would probably amount to nothing, but it was a nice feeling to have an attractive man write her an email via the dating website. And not only was he attractive, but he could actually _write an email_ and not the "Hey, how r u?" crap that some of the other emails she'd gotten had. Had people lost the ability to write correctly? Could they say more than "Hey, how are you?" to the person who has a whole profile in which to base comments and questions on?

Steve had taken his time and actually read her profile. As was apparent by his email when he asked her exactly what being an astrophysicist entailed. He went on to tell her he had a telescope that he liked to peer though now and again, but admitted he didn't know much about what he was looking at.

This had tickled Jane's teacher aspect and she'd given him some instructions on what to look for the next time he peered through his telescope. She liked being able to talk about what she did and hopefully, maybe get them as excited as she was about the stars.

She bopped around her apartment that early afternoon with a spring in her step and was about to settle in and catch up on last week's Once Upon a Time with a mug of hot cocoa in hand when there was a knock at her door. She groaned, hoping it wasn't Darcy because, really, she just wanted to be alone for a while.

When she got to the door and opened it she found, of all people, Loki.

Her jaw dropped. "What the – Loki, what the _hell_ are you doing here?"

He looked different today. He was wearing blue jeans and a black shirt with his sunglasses hanging in the middle of his chest off his shirt. He looked at her and she could only describe the look as predatory…and angry.

He pointed to her door. "Do you always answer the door without asking who it is first?"

Jane just stood there, staring at him and trying to wrap her mind around the fact that Loki was standing in her doorway. "What are you doing here?" she asked again.

"You have a peephole," he said and pointed to it. "You should use it. How do you know that I'm not a serial killer?"

"Well, it was either that or vampire. Since I've now seen you in the daylight without bursting into flames…"

He shot her a withering look and then nodded towards somewhere behind her. "Can I come in?"

"Isn't the jury still out about you being a serial killer?"

"Foster."

She sighed and stepped aside. "Come in, come in..."

He swept by her and Jane caught the scent of his cologne. She found herself leaning in his direction to catch more of a whiff of it and then stopped and shook her head. What the hell was wrong with her?

Seeing Loki standing in the middle of her bright living room was somehow unnerving. He didn't really fit. He was all darkness and she was, well, not. He looked around her living room and nodded toward the giant framed picture on her wall of the Milky Way. "That's gorgeous."

She nodded. "It is."

He cocked his head to the side and did a slow spin, taking it all in. She found herself looking for anything embarrassing like a bra that could be lying about. There was nothing. Just her couch, a couple bookcases, a lamp, a recliner, and her television which sat upon a rather small entertainment center.

"Are you allowed to paint here?" he asked.

"No."

"The white walls certainly bring in a lot of light."

"They do."

"It must get hot with the sun streaming in and being on the second floor."

"It does."

"Air conditioning?"

"Yes. Bedroom."

His gaze flickered to the door behind her that led to her bedroom and she just looked up at him. He smiled and held something up. Ah. _Seven._ "I am returning this to you, love."

The deep rumble of his voice temporarily left Jane off kilter. It took her a moment to actually reach for the movie. "Oh, uh, thanks." Loki pulled it back and she looked up at him in question.

"Has Thor called you yet?" he asked.

"About?"

"Tonight."

"What is tonight?"

"He is planning to have a get together of sorts at The Watering Hole."

"Well, no, he hasn't called…maybe he is upset with me for the way I left the other night?"

"I assure you he's not. He'll be calling. He wants 'all of us' to get together."

"All of us being me, Thor, Fandral, you and Sif?" Jane asked.

"Yes. I'm sure Fandral will ring Darcy as well."

Jane sighed.

"Will you be joining us?"

"Can I ask you a question? And don't be lame and say I just did."

He smirked and turned to her frumpy beige couch behind him. He sat, extending his long legs in front of himself and crossing his feet at the ankles. He placed the movie down on the side table beside the couch. "Go ahead."

"Is it because of Sif that you hang out with all of us?" she asked as she sat down at the other end of the couch and curled one leg under her.

Loki stared at his feet. "No."

"Then why do you? I mean, you engage but not really. You always seem to separate yourself from the fray. Well, unless I say something you deem stupid."

"I prefer to observe," he said and looked at her.

"Do you like Sif, Loki?"

He grinned. "That's two questions. I agreed to one."

"You do realize that's an answer in and of itself."

"Is it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine, be difficult. I'm just going to assume that you do like her."

"Like her, Jane? You make it sound as though we're in high school again."

"Okay, fine – you're madly in love with her."

He barked out a laugh. "I assure you I am not."

"Infatuated?"

He just hummed and smiled and nodded towards her. "Nice robe."

Jane looked down at her fuzzy pink robe and for the first time realized that she probably looked a mess. She hadn't showered yet and she was still in her pajamas. Loki Odinson was seeing her at her absolute frumpiest.

"I've just been lollygallying this morning," she murmured. "I hadn't expected company. You could have just given me the movie tonight."

He shrugged. "I was out and in the area. So, do you think you'll be coming out with us tonight?"

"Um sure, if Thor calls and asks me to come."

Loki tilted her head to the side. "What if he doesn't? Will you come because I invited you?"

She furrowed her brow. "I – I don't know…I mean, are you sure he's not upset with me?"

"I'm sure."

"I'll still wait for him to call, and if he does then yes I will go tonight."

Silence fell and Jane scrambled for something to say. This was just too weird. Way too weird. Loki was _in her apartment_. Loki, who up until the day before she thought hated her. And now she'd helped him with an online dating profile and shared a meal with him.

"I guess I should be going," he finally said and stood. Jane got up off the couch and followed him to the door. "I've had a few more hits on my profile," he told her at the door as he opened it. He stepped out into the hall and faced her. "You?"

She nodded and smiled. "Oh yeah. I've exchanged a few emails with someone already." In the distance she heard her phone ring. "That must be Thor. Bye, Loki. Thanks for returning my movie." She closed the door, oblivious to the fact that Loki stood on the other side still, scowling about this new development with her online profile.


	9. Chapter Nine

**Chapter Nine**

It had been Thor on the phone when Loki was on his way out the door. He made no mention of how she'd left his apartment in a bit of a huff. It was as though nothing had happened and Jane was equal parts thankful and put out by that. It would have been nice if he'd cared enough to ask why she had left as she did instead of just assuming that it was all over a game.

She didn't really want to get into why Sif pissed her off, and yet at the same time she did. She knew Thor just didn't see how Sif treated her. If he was going to insist upon throwing them altogether like that, shouldn't he be at least aware that a couple members of his "entourage" didn't exactly get along? Although, opening that can of worms was probably a bad idea considering Jane was nowhere near ready to tell Thor how she felt about him. And now with Steve and her emailing maybe she didn't have to. Maybe all she needed to do was just move on.

With thoughts of hanging out with the "gang" – and that did include Darcy since Fandral was personally inviting her – Jane dug into her bag of new clothes to find something to wear. Why not, right? Loki didn't seem to think she needed a wardrobe change, but Jane had her doubts on that. She could at least put forth some effort tonight.

So, she settled on a pair of flared jeans that definitely hugged her thighs and ass, and a silk mauve tank top that hinted at cleavage, and a pair of brown boots. Before she left the house she tossed on a cream colored cardigan because she wasn't used to dressing this way even though for most it would still be considered tame. Her hair was loose and free and she'd even worn some makeup to make her eyes standout.

She had opted to meet everyone at the bar and when she walked in, she stood awkwardly by the door and did a scan of the bar to look for a familiar face.

"Jane!" Darcy's booming voice sounded out over the loud music and Jane couldn't help but chuckle. Darcy came hurrying over from across the bar and enveloped Jane in a hug. "You made it. I'm so glad. "

Jane smiled and Darcy pulled back and looked her up and down. "I approve. Maybe you could uh, take this cardigan off?"

"Not yet."

Darcy rolled her eyes and slung an arm across Jane's shoulders. "Unbutton a few buttons at least. Please?"

Jane sighed and unbuttoned a few buttons so that the top of her tank top showed.

"We'll have that off you by the end of the night," Darcy vowed.

"We'll see."

Darcy led Jane through the already crowded bar to a corner table where everyone – Sif, Thor, Fandral, and yes even Loki – were congregated. Sif and Loki looked to be in a deep conversation that halted as soon as Darcy announced that Jane had arrived. Jane sheepishly waved and tried to fight off the urge to zero in on Sif and Loki.

Thor looked up and smiled, then did a double take and his smile widened. He stood and embraced her. "You look beautiful," he murmured in her ear and Jane shivered.

"I'm getting a drink. You want anything?" Sif asked as she came to stand beside Thor. Thor pulled out of Jane's embrace and looked at her. "I'll take another beer," he replied.

Sif pursed her lips together and looked at Jane with an arched brow. "Jane?"

"Uh, beer, thanks," Jane said, thinking – did Thor not see it? Was he blind? Sif hated her, and it was apparent in the way she looked at her and talked to her. Jane wondered if it was a good idea to have the woman get her a beer. She wouldn't put it past Sif to spit in it.

"Thor, will you help me?" Sif asked.

Okay, well, now the offer to get her something to drink was apparent. Sif just wanted to extricate Thor from Jane. _Fuck you_, Jane thought. Thor agreed and the pair walked off.

"Hello, love."

Jane looked up and found Loki standing before her in the attire he'd been sporting earlier that afternoon. "Hey," she greeted him absently.

"What's wrong?"

Jane shook her head. "Nothing. Just – how can he not see how much she hates me? And God, could she have made it any more obvious that she wants Thor away from me? Jesus, she couldn't be any more obvious than if she peed on him to mark her territory." She narrowed her eyes at him. "What were you talking to her about?"

"Music. Her taste is atrocious. Jealous?"

She rolled her eyes. "No." _Maybe. Wait. What?_

"I need a drink myself. Walk with me." Loki didn't really wait for her to answer, he just slipped his hand around hers and pulled her with him to the bar where they met up with Thor and Sif who were just receiving their drinks.

Sif held out the beer to Jane. "Here."

Jane took the beer and mumbled, "Thanks."

Thor grinned at her as he passed on by with Sif and Jane decided she'd rather stay with Loki than follow them. _Again: what?_

When Loki finally got his order he turned and dumped a shot of something in her beer with a grin. "You need to loosen up, Foster."

"What was that?"

"Tequila."

"I'll be so loose I'll fall asleep."

"Nonsense. Drink up."

They stood together like fools and took huge sips of their beers. Jane had to laugh and in the process nearly made the beer come out her nose. Loki chuckled and Jane thought how nice it was when Loki smiled like that. No mischief, no sarcasm, just a genuine smile. So, she decided to tell him that. His smile grew wider and then he slipped his hand around hers again and led her back to the table.

Jane was confused. Why was he holding her hand? What was happening here? Why was she letting this happen? Loki led her to the end of the table where he'd been sitting before and pointed to the spot across from him. Fandral moved over to make room for her and Jane sat. And drank.

"Teach me something, Foster," Loki said.

"Pardon?" She had to have heard that wrong.

"Teach me something. Tell me more about the Einstein-Rosen bridge that you've been studying."

"You want to know about that?"

Loki smiled. "Yes."

"You asked for it," Jane said and launched into an explanation complete with different theories. Loki even _asked questions_ and proposed ideas of his own! In the midst of that, Jane had two more beers and, she suspected, two more shots since Loki had ordered for both of them.

When she lost track of what she was saying and Loki was looking at her in amusement, Jane realized she was in fact drunk. She blinked at him. "What was I saying?"

He grinned. "How do you feel, love?"

"Like I'm floating on a cloud," she said. "I think I need to use the ladies." She stood and swayed on her feet. Loki was right there to catch her before she fell on her face. She giggled and tapped her lips. "I can't feel my lips." She reached up and tapped his. "Can you feel yours?"

He leaned in close and somewhere in Jane's drunken mind she knew that if she was sober she would be rearing back from him, wondering what the hell he was doing, but in this state? She didn't give a crap. In fact, she leaned into him. "I can feel my lips," he murmured. "Would you like to?"

She had to have heard that wrong. Even drunk, Jane knew that wasn't right coming from Loki. Now she couldn't stop staring at his lips. How _would _they feel against her own, she wondered.

"Whoa! What's going on here?" Jane was pulled from her haze by Darcy who all but yanked her away from Loki. "Come to the bathroom with me!" Darcy said and pulled Jane away.

Jane felt ready to tip over and by the time they got to the bathroom, she had to put her hand on the wall to brace herself.

"Jane! What the hell is going on with you and Loki?" Darcy demanded.

Jane blinked at her. "Nothing. I've just been helping—" No, he didn't want anyone to know about the online profile, "—him understand the Einstein-Rosen bridge."

Darcy looked at her incredulously. "Jane, you two looked about to kiss!"

"No," Jane said with a shake of her head that made her head spin. "Just no."

"How much have you had to drink?" Darcy asked.

"I don't know anymore," Jane mumbled and then felt it. She was going to throw up.

She ran to a stall and shoved it open without even checking to see if anyone was inside, and thank God there wasn't, because she heaved in the toilet. Twice. She slumped against the stall and had the sudden urge to cry. She hated throwing up. Darcy opened the stall and looked down at her. "Oh, honey…"

"I want to go home now," Jane said with a pout.

"We'll get you home then," Darcy said and helped Jane to her feet. "Want a mint?"

"Not yet," Jane mumbled as Darcy put an arm around her waist and allowed Jane to lean on her for support.

Loki was waiting in the spot that they'd left him and when he took one look at Jane, he came forward and tilted Jane's face up to his. "You were sick."

"Yes, and it's all your fault," she said and poked him hard in the chest.

He winced. "I think it's time to call it a night." He held out his hand. "Keys?"

Jane just stared at him. Was having him take her home a good idea? She was leaning towards no.

"No," Darcy said for her. "I will take her home."

"Don't be ridiculous. You've had three beers. I had _one_ two hours ago."

"We were talking for two hours?" Jane asked in wonderment. "I went on that long? You had one beer? How is that possible?"

Loki ignored her questions. "Let me take you home, Jane," he said gently. "Please hand me your keys."

Well, when he put it that way…

"Jane!" Darcy exclaimed when Jane dug into her pocket and handed Loki her keys.

Loki grabbed Jane's arm and gently pulled her away from Darcy. Darcy glared at him and then pointed at him. "I'm watching you, buddy."

Loki just arched his brow at her and steered Jane away. When they passed by the table, Jane pointed at the group and said, "Shouldn't I say good-bye?"

"Darcy will say goodbye for you," Loki said and steered her right out the door.


	10. Chapter Ten

**Chapter Ten**

Loki's plan had to get Jane a little tipsy and divert her attention away from Thor. He hadn't planned on her being such a lightweight and getting sick however. Truthfully, he felt a little guilty about that. Okay, more than a little, but he wasn't above capitalizing on the situation. And by capitalizing he meant taking Jane away from Thor completely and being the one to take care of her while she was drunk. If she happened to puke on him well, then, perhaps he deserved it for getting her drunk in the first place.

But he didn't plan on getting any puke on him.

"Ever have one of those dreams where you show up for a play you're in but you don't know your lines or the plot?" Jane asked, breaking the silence in her car as Loki drove her home.

"No," he said.

"Okay, well, that's sort of how this feels."

"How do you mean?" Loki asked. He knew though. He just wanted to hear her say it so he could then assure her that this was not as odd as she thought it was. It was the natural progression of their budding friendship.

"I'm drunk and you're taking me home. How is that not weird to you?"

"You're my friend and the only one that was sober enough to take you home. I couldn't very well let Darcy take you home and risk her getting into an accident, could I?"

She muttered something he couldn't make out and looked out the window. Then she started to hum. Loki couldn't place the hum. "What are you singing?" he asked.

"Just a small town girl, livin' in a lonely world. She took the midnight train goin' anyyyyywherrreee!"

All right, Jane erupting into song was something Loki had not expected. He liked it though – not for any singing talent she had, but because this was the looser side of Jane. She wasn't stuck in her head; she wasn't thinking how it was too "weird" for them to spend time together. There were no walls up – well, okay, not many at least. She was relaxed. That was good.

The song came to a close just as Loki pulled into her driveway. He was surprised no dogs or stray cats had followed them home after hearing her singing. Jane stumbled out of the car before he could help her out and he directed her to put an arm around his waist when he finally managed to get to her side.

She did so, biting her lip and they made their way up the carpeted stairs to her second floor apartment. Once he let her inside, she pulled the keys out of her door somewhat clumsily and pushed him back into the hall. "I got it from here, Loki. I'm fine."

Loki tilted his head to the side. "Do you not trust me, Jane?"

She blinked. "No – I mean, yes, I mean I know you're not going to do anything to me, but I'm not incapable of taking care of myself. I have been drunk alone before. I'm not going to decide I can fly and take a leap out the window or anything. I'm just going to shower and go to bed."

Loki stepped back in her apartment, causing Jane to have to step back to give him room. He closed the door and locked it. "Be that as it may, I would feel better if I stayed for a bit and made sure you didn't slip and fall in the shower in your inebriated state and kill yourself."

She just looked at him in exasperation and flounced off toward her bedroom. Loki grinned to himself and followed her. When he entered her bedroom, he noted the dominant color was blue and green and not pink – thank God. It seemed most of the women he'd bedded in the past few years had very pink rooms. They were also insipid and not that great in bed either. He had a feeling Jane would be a firecracker in bed.

Jane was rooting around in a drawer with her back to him and Loki helped himself to her bed. He sat down and watched her…well, watched her ass. She had an amazing ass.

"Ugh, it's hot!" she complained and practically tore off her cardigan and whipped it across the room. Loki chuckled and Jane turned around and gaped at him. "What the hell are you doing in my bedroom?!"

"Keeping an eye on you."

"Seriously?" she rolled her eyes and Loki was trying his best to be a good boy and not let his gaze drift to the cleavage he could see tempting him in that top she wore, but he was having a difficult time.

He decided it was best to just own it. "This part of the new ensemble you got when you went shopping?"

She nodded and looked down at herself. "Do I look ridiculous?"

Loki got to his feet and went over to her. He lifted her chin with his finger to make her look at him. "No, love. You're perfect."

She looked at him dazedly and then swayed backwards. Loki caught her before she fell over and she pushed out of his arms and mumbled to him that she was going to take a shower now.

Loki sighed and sat back down on her bed. And then, like the lovesick idiot that he was, he grabbed one of her pillows and brought it up to his face and inhaled deeply. He smiled to himself as he inhaled her sweet scent.

Good God, he loved this woman. Sometimes he hated her for it, too. Loki had never fancied himself as someone that would ever fall in love. It was the giving of power to someone else and it was something that Loki could just not abide. He'd given his father power over him back when he was still jumping through hoops to please the difficult man, and what had it gotten him? Nothing. Thor was still the favorite, Loki was still the disappointment. It was rather irksome, actually, how unfair it really was. In high school Loki had always had the better grades. Not by much, but still.

Loki had been accepted to Harvard and Thor to Boston College – their father's alma mater _of course_. Somehow it was still not enough, or so Loki felt. Halfway through his second year as he took business classes and was absolutely miserable because what he really wanted to do was paint. Thor , meanwhile, was receiving all sorts of accolades for his sports involvement and Odin was priming him to take over the business when Thor was through college. Loki decided he was killing himself to please a man that would never be satisfied. So, he switched majors and switched schools and finished out at Boston University with a degree in art. That had certainly gotten Odin's attention and he had been none too pleased.

Loki was done caring. He would do what he wanted and make himself happy even if that seemed an unattainable goal. He cut all ties from his father and only spoke to his mother. In many ways, Loki was bitter and angry. Yeah, maybe he did mooch off Thor and maybe it was something he did out of spite rather than because he needed to, and maybe he was beginning to think that he shouldn't do that any longer because, well…

Jane.

She had called him out on it already and if he was going to convince her to be with him and give up Thor, well, then, he needed to come clean and admit to her that he was not the starving, poverty-stricken artist he made himself out to be. No, he was actually quite successful selling prints online and in a gallery in Cambridge. He had money. Quite enough to live on his own if he'd wanted to, but just at the time he had been thinking that perhaps it was time to move out of Thor's apartment, Jane had come into their life.

Jane with her inquisitive mind and fiery temper had attracted Loki like a moth to her flame. She was too good for Thor – too brilliant to be weighed down by someone that would eventually bore her to death. Jane needed someone to challenge her and Thor was no challenge. He would never be what Jane needed, but Loki would be – he already was. He just had to convince her of it.

"You're still here."

Loki looked up at a wet Jane dressed in white pajama pants and a pink tank top. Her hair was wet and she was staring at him as though she couldn't believe he was still there.

"I am," he said and stood. "Have you had any water to drink yet?"

"No."

"Get in bed, missy, and I'll get you some."

She nodded, looking tired and miserable, and climbed into the bed. Loki grinned at her and then went to her kitchen, rooted around in her cabinets for glasses, and found some ibuprofen as well. He filled a glass with water and took out two ibuprofens for her and carried it to her bedroom. She was sitting up, brushing her hair and Loki sat down beside her.

She put her brush down one the mahogany nightstand next to her Queen-sized bed and took the proffered water and ibuprofen. She drank the entire glass and then he took it from her and set it on the nightstand. Reaching out, he ran a hand through her wet strands. "How do you feel, my Jane?"

"Tired," she said with a yawn and laid back against her overstuffed pillows. Stars. She had moon and stars on her pillowcases. Of course. He couldn't help but smile.

Loki took one of her hands and brought it to his mouth and kissed her fingers. "Close your eyes, love."

She yawned and did so, and he shut out the light. He could still see her with the light from a street lamp illuminating the room just enough. If she insisted on lights out when they had sex, he would still be able to see her with that light he noted. His dick twitched in his pants at the thought. He stroked the back of her hand with his fingers until she fell asleep and then he stayed and watched her sleep for a long while after.


	11. Chapter Eleven

**Chapter Eleven**

Jane woke up feeling as though she could just stick her face under a running faucet and chug. She also had to pee. Just how much had Loki given her to –

She shot up in bed. Loki.

She looked at her open bedroom door and tentatively called out, "Loki?"

No answer. She climbed out of bed slowly, straining to hear any possible movement from the other room. "Loki?" she called out. She stepped into the doorway of her bedroom and peered out into the living room. Nope. There was no sign of him.

She bit her lip and crept through her living room out to her kitchen as though expecting him to jump out at her. He wasn't in her kitchen, but there was a not taped to her coffee maker.

_Jane – _

_Hope you slept well. Call me later. _

_Loki_

She stared at the note in disbelief. "Call you later?" she said to the note. "We don't do that." She put the note down on her table and set about making coffee for herself and then proceeded to pour herself a tall glass of water. She downed it and went for her vitamins in her cabinet and drank some more water and took her vitamins. She looked back at the note while her coffee brewed.

Why would he ask her to call him? Sure they'd called a truce and declared that they were friends, though in all honesty Jane was a little wary of that title. They were not _there_ yet.

And yet he had taken her home, gave her water so she wouldn't wake up with a hanger, and put her to bed. That was incredibly sweet of him.

On the other hand, he had also gotten her drunk to begin with, so….

Well, maybe she could at least text him and let him know she was fine. It's not like Loki knew what a lightweight she was. He probably thought he was doing her a favor by loosening her up a little. Their conversation had gotten her off obsessing over Sif and Thor.

All right, fine. She would text him, thank him, and be on her merry way. she picked up her phone, the sound of the coffee maker gurgling in the background and texted Loki.

_I'm fine. Thanks for taking me home and taking care of me. _

There. Now she could focus on what to do with her day. Her phone signaled a text had come through.

_No problem. How do you feel?_

Now he was engaging.

_I feel fine_, she quickly texted back.

_Great. Are you home?_

She stared at her phone and then looked toward her hall. Her window. Her clock. It was 11 am.

_I just woke up, so yes, _she replied_._

_I'll be over in ten minutes_, he texted back.

Wait. What? Was he just waiting for her to text him so that he could just pop on over? This was weird. Is this what happened to a friendless Loki? Did he just latch onto anyone that would pay attention to him? However she hadn't paid attention to him of her own volition so much as having been forced into it.

She went to the bathroom to relieve herself and assess the situation with her hair. It looked like she'd slept on it wet, which was exactly what she'd done. A pony tail was in order. After that, she brushed her teeth and then stared at herself and asked, "Why do you even _care_? It's _Loki_."

And then there was a knock on her door and Jane's heart started to race. What the _hell_?

He was doing something. She didn't know what it was exactly, but it was something and she didn't like it. She went to the door and tried not to care that she hadn't showered again so that she could make her hair manageable, plus she liked taking showers at the start of her day, even when she'd taken one the night before.

"I'm a mess," she blurted out by of greeting.

Loki just looked at her, wearing a green plaid shirt with a white t-shirt underneath, jeans, and scuffed up boots. His hair was slightly curly and Jane wondered if that was what happened when he went product-less. Interesting.

He, of course, looked perfect and just the fact that Jane was thinking Loki and perfect in a benevolent way and not in a "Loki is a perfect asshat" kind of way was troublesome.

"No you're not."

"What are you doing here? I just woke up and—" she broke off when Loki held up a bag. "What is that?"

"Breakfast."

"You brought me breakfast?"

"Or brunch. Whatever. It's a peace offering for getting you drunk."

"Were you waiting for me to call?"

He shrugged. "Yes."

"So you could bring me food?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"I just said why."

Jane shook her head and snatched the bag from his hands. "Thank you." She was ready to shut the door and tell him she'd see him later when he pushed his way past her. "I've got a bagel for myself in there. Shall we eat?"

Jane shut the door and gave up. "Sure."

A bear claw later, Jane was working her way through a bagel and coffee when Loki, who had already polished off his bagel, pointed to the laptop that sat between them on her kitchen table. "Is it on?"

"Yes. Why?"

He started pulling it toward her. "May I?"

He had it opened now and Jane wondered if asking was just a formality because he was apparently going to help himself anyway. "Sure," she said with a wave of her hand.

She watched him for a minute and then asked, "Are you checking your email or something?"

He grinned and shook his head. "No. I wanted to show you something."

"What?"

"Don't look so wary."

"It's you, Loki. I can't help it."

He laughed, as though it was an honor for her to be wary of him, which considering the source, it was.

He turned the laptop then to face her and she reared back as though something would leap through the screen and attack her. She chided herself for being so ridiculous while Loki had himself another laugh.

Jane pulled the laptop closer and was surprised to find rows of paintings for sale. Beautiful paintings that looked more like snapshots. Most of them had London somewhere in the title, which were placed under the painting. She began to scroll through them and recognized some scenes were of Boston. She looked up at him. "Loki…these are yours?"

He nodded once. "Yes."

"These are amazing – whoa, one of them is going for three hundred – and this is not e-bay." She scrolled to the top and clicked on "Home". "This is a legit art site – no, this is a gallery website located in Cambridge!"

"Yes."

"When did you do this?"

"Two years ago."

"Two…_two_ years ago? I'm confused. Are they not selling?"

He sighed and sat back as though bracing himself. "No, they sell quite well. I've had a few showings as well."

Jane opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She was making like a guppy she knew it, but she was floored by this revelation and didn't yet have the words.

"Just listen to me for a minute," he said and pulled the laptop away from her. "I know you're going to call me every name in the book for allowing Thor and everyone else to believe that I have no income coming in, and letting Thor pay my way."

"Yes!" Jane exclaimed.

"I want to tell you why."

His story spilled out of him and though he had been up all night feeling as though coming clean with Jane and laying himself bare to her in this way was the worst thing he could ever do, he found that the words came surprisingly easy. He had never shared his history with his family to another before, not even to his closest friends, but with Jane he found it easy. And imperative.

Jane would never see him as someone she could be with if he didn't come clean about this. He had to be honest with her about this if not about the fact that he'd looked at her browser history before logging onto the gallery site and discovered the dating site she had joined.

"So, yes, I've let Thor believe I am struggling. I rather liked the idea of having a secret that was just mine, and I liked making him have to pay my way after years of working so hard to his equal, if not better than him," he finished.

Jane stared at him. "You are utterly twisted," she finally said.

"Yes," he agreed. "I make no excuses for that."

"You just did. That whole story – it was your big excuse for being a…a complete dink."

He leaned forward, his temper pricked. "Excuse me?"

"You don't have the market cornered on dysfunctional families and parents that are never pleased, Loki. Welcome to my fucking world. I am one giant disappointment to my mother who wanted me to be more girly and less into science. She wanted me to be like her – a Donna Reed type whose only accomplishments were hosting garden parties and hospital charities. And my Dad, well, he wanted me to be a doctor like him. He doesn't understand what I do because he doesn't think it helps anyone. I'm not actively saving lives every day so what good is the field I happen to be passionate about? But you don't see me being deceitful to stick it to them."

"Well, that at least explains what your issue is with Sif."

That gave her pause. "Excuse me?"

"Your issue with Sif is that she resembles your mother for you. You're more obsessed with why she doesn't like you than why Thor hasn't asked you out because if you gain Sif's approval then it's like you've gained your mothers. Plus, let's not forget that your answer to gaining Thor's attention is to buy new clothes and change your appearance." He pointed at her and wiggled his finger at her. "You still have a little bit of your mother's influence in you. You care more than you let on about what you project out to the world. We all have our little drama's we play out, Jane, so don't pretend you're exempt from them. You're just not complexly conscious of it."

She glared at him. "I admit that I don't always take it well when someone doesn't like me, but we're not dissecting me here. You've been lying to your brother for two years, Loki!"

"I don't care!" he shouted and jumped to his feet. "Thor has been handed everything his whole life while I've had to bust my ass for them. Excuse me if for _once_, I'd like to be handed a few things, too."

"A few things? You've been handed a roof over your head, food – you've been handed more than your fair share. It's been just one long temper tantrum and what exactly are you getting out of it? Keeping your successes a secret doesn't really do you any favors. Wouldn't you rather stick it to your father by showing him what a success you've become than proving yourself to be some worthless bum – oh. I see."

Now it was his turn to glare. "See what?"

"You don't really think your success will last. Some part of you thinks maybe you made a mistake and if your father finds out and something happens and you fail, you'll have proven him right. You're afraid."

He didn't say a word, but Jane caught the look on his face that told her that she'd hit the nail right on the head. And then she felt guilty. Loki was screwed up. She knew that on some level he had to be with the way he sat in judgment of others so often, with his lack of friends and how he boasted about his lack of a heart. But she hadn't realized just _how_ screwed up he was. It was almost as though he punished himself by doing the things he did because he not only hurt others but himself as well.

As much as he acted as though he was God's gift, Jane now realized how much of that was a ruse. She understood fear. It was what drove her to get high honors in college and land a job at MIT to prove to her parents – and herself – that she was successful and independent and she could do it on her own. It was probably why it bothered her more than it should that Sif didn't like her. She was used to getting flak from non-science minded individuals about her work, but on a personal level it stung when someone, like Sif, didn't like her. Because then she had failed at something.

It had always been easy to accept that Loki didn't like her because he didn't seem to like anyone.

"I came here because I thought out of everyone I could tell you about this," he said angrily. "Instead I'm still being compared to Thor. I don't know what the fuck I expected—"

"How am I comparing you to Thor?" she exclaimed. "I'm not comparing you to him. I'm talking about you and your own fucked up behavior. But while we're on the subject I would just like to point out that doing all this in part to get back at Thor is complete bullshit. You say you make no excuses for how you are and what you do, but you know what – Thor can't help who he is and what he does either. You want to punish him for crap your father has done, and that's not very fair is it? Unless you somehow feel inferior to him in some way?"

"Stop fucking psychoanalyzing me!" Loki shouted.

This had gotten out of hand. Way out of hand. Jane held up a hand and sat back down. "Let's just calm down."

"I'm leaving. I thought I could come here and be honest with you. I thought it was a step in the direction of good faith as friends—"

"Friends also call each other out on their bullshit," she pointed out. "What you wanted was for me to say 'Poor you, poor Loki. You really got dealt a bum hand and your father is an ass and fuck it – stick it to him and Thor all you want. I understand.' Well, that's not how it works. I called you on your bs before, I'm not going to stop now that we're friends. I think you owe it to Thor, but most of all yourself, to be up front about what you've done and make it right. You have the ability to do that, Loki, and despite what you want other people to think I do think you have a heart. A rather large one. And I think you care. You care a lot – probably more than most people. I am sorry that your feelings were hurt, but you know it's wrong or you wouldn't have felt you had anything to confess."

Loki looked angry and…sad. He was shaking, too. Jane wanted to go to him and hug him, but she didn't know how and so she just sat there, waiting. For what she wasn't sure.

And then he walked left. Just sailed right through her kitchen and out the door, slamming the door behind him. Jane didn't know what to do, or if she should do anything. If it was Darcy or Thor she'd probably have gone after them, but this was Loki and their friendship was still new and tenuous at best. She'd pushed him, maybe too hard and she felt bad about that. She stuck by what she said, but perhaps it was too much at once for someone as…well, as fragile as Loki. Something she would have never equated to him before. Imagine that. Loki was fragile. It made sense though on some level. He was purposely ornery and rude to people because it hid how easily his feelings could be hurt.

She picked up her phone and fired off a text message.

_I'm sorry. _

She thought she should type more but had no idea what to say so she sent it and left it at that.


	12. Chapter 12

It had been over a week since Jane had seen or heard from Loki. Jane had been busy week with work and so she didn't have much time for anything. She had only been able to correspond with Steve a few times, but she had explained to him that work was a bit on the crazy side but that she had not and would not forget about him.

It was Loki who occupied her thoughts the most when her mind wasn't on work though. All that he had told her, the fight that had ensued, and whether or not she had been too harsh with him. On the one hand what he'd done by lying about how well he was actually doing financially and professionally was deplorable. On the other hand, what anger and hurt must he have been feeling by his father to do such a thing? It was just horrible that Thor had to be caught in the crossfire of Loki wanting to get back at Odin. Well, he had also wanted to get back at Thor, too. For what though? For doing things the way their father wanted? She stood by what she'd said: Thor couldn't help who he was and what he did and what he got because of that. Loki just wanted to hold everyone accountable instead of taking any responsibility for his actions.

And that was why even though she'd thought of calling him a few times she hadn't. It bugged her that she couldn't stop thinking about him despite the fact that she wasn't sure she could be friends with him – if they even were that to begin with. She wondered if perhaps she was being too judgmental. Loki had come clean to her after all so that denoted a sense of guilt that indicated he knew what he was doing was wrong. Why her? Why had he bothered to tell her first and not Thor if it was bothering him so much? Was it possible that Loki thought of her as more of a friend than she thought of him? The thought made her feel guilty.

One night, as she ate a frozen dinner and tried not to think about Loki and instead lose herself in some sitcom, Thor called. He hadn't heard from her in a while and wanted to know how she was doing.

It was kind of funny when she heard his voice and his concern over how she was because prior to this she would have been over the moon to hear from Thor. Now she found all she wanted to ask about was Loki. But then she didn't have to for Thor gave up the information, informing her that Loki had moved out. He shared the news of Loki's success as an artist and waited for Jane to be appalled with him. She faked it. Obviously, she already knew this.

"So, where is he living?" she asked casually.

"Near the gallery he works for," Thor told her. "Loki described them as 'posh'."

"Of course he did," Jane muttered.

Thor chuckled.

"And how are you two doing?" she asked with some trepidation.

Thor sighed. "I told him I don't want to see him for a while."

_That won't do Loki well at all_, Jane thought, though she did not say it aloud. No doubt Loki had expected that kind of reaction from Thor, and probably knew he deserved it too, but it would only fuel his dislike of his family. It would further alienate him from them and –

And it was what he deserved. So why did it bother her to think of Loki alone in a new place and with no one to talk to? Even though he probably preferred it that way it bothered her and it really rankled that it did bother her so much.

"What did he say to that?" Jane asked.

"Nothing."

Jane sighed. Yeah. It had hurt Loki. And she fucking cared that it did whilst understanding Thor's position as well.

She hung up with Thor after some idle chit chat and the promise to come out and hang out at the bar with 'the gang' again that weekend. As she hung up she thought: _I am not going to see Loki. I'm not doing it._

And then as she crawled into bed that night and stared up at her ceiling in the darkness she thought: _Fuck. I'm going to see Loki._

xxxxxxxxxx

Loki's gallery was still in Jane's history on her computer so she was able to find the address rather quickly. She carried it in her pocket the following day all day long. Every once in a while she would ask herself: Are you really going to track him down, Jane?

By the end of the day the answer was still yes. She had no way of knowing if he'd even be there, chances are he wouldn't be, but perhaps the owners could tell her where he was. Maybe. Probably not. But Jane felt compelled to at least try.

Sure she could just text him and ask him but she was pretty sure he wouldn't tell her since he was probably pretty pissed at her still, and secondly, she liked the idea of having the element of surprise on Loki. It somehow made her feel that for once she would have the advantage.

She actually found she was nervous as she made her way down the street where the gallery was. She kept her eye out for the sign and wasn't paying attention at all to where she was going. Which was how she ended up knocking into someone.

"I'm sorry!" she said quickly.

"Jane?"

She looked up. Loki. Of course. Why wouldn't it be Loki she slammed into? However, this stopped her having to play sleuth to find him. Without thinking, she threw her arms around him. "I'm so happy I found you!"

She broke away before he could even react. He stared down at her looking, for once, shocked. "You are?"

She nodded adamantly. "Yes! I was coming to find you. Well, attempt to anyway. I was going to go to your gallery first and hope they gave me some info. If they didn't then I really didn't have a plan. I know what you're thinking – why didn't I just text you or ask Thor for your address, but a. I didn't think you'd answer me and b. I didn't really want to deal with Thor wondering why I was so concerned about where you were. That would just open a bag of worms and I didn't want to deal with it – not that I'm ashamed or anything but I just know me and my inability to lie and I would end up telling him about the prof—" Jane was forced to stop talking when Loki put his hand over her mouth.

"Were you afraid to tell Thor we're friends?" he asked.

"No," she said a little too quickly and then sighed. "Loki, don't start. Don't turn this into some kind of pissing contest between you and Thor. I'm here to see you after all. Can we just focus on that?"

He visibly relaxed and nodded. "Why exactly are you here looking for me?"

"Because I was worried about you."

He blinked. "You were worried….why?"

"Because you moved out. Because you told Thor everything and he told you he didn't want to see you for a while." She shrugged. "I was worried. I know you like to act like nothing bothers you but I know it does on some level and I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

His expression was unreadable. "I'm okay."

Jane bit her lip and nodded. "Okay. Well…okay. So I guess I'll—"

"Would you like to see my place?"

Jane didn't even think about how she probably should answer. She nodded and said, "Yes."


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**Chapter Thirteen**

Jane looked about as bewildered as Loki felt. He looked at her briefly as they walked together in silence down the street to his apartment and he felt a tad out of sorts. He hadn't imagined this turn of events even on his best day. In fact, he'd thought he'd lost her completely. Not that he'd had her, but he had felt he was getting closer than before, but then in telling her the truth he hadn't drawn her closer to him as he'd hoped, but instead had driven her away.

Well…he'd thought he had anyway.

"You keep looking at me," she said. "Why?"

"I'm just stunned that you're here. That you came to look for me."

She shrugged and looked away. She was nervous, he could tell. And she was probably wondering why she'd done it now as well. Then she stopped abruptly and looked at him and Loki faced her, waiting for her to speak.

"I think what you did to Thor was pretty rotten…for the record," she said. "I'm really glad that you told him and I'm not sure still why you chose me out of everyone to tell first…and there is a slight chance that I may have been a tad…judgmental."

Loki cocked his head to the side. "That sounded a bit difficult for you to say."

"Apologies are never easy."

"So I've learned."

She nodded. "I bet. I guess I didn't realize how much you really thought of me as a friend until after the fact. You and I have always had a combative relationship and I guess I didn't take us being friends all that seriously. I sort of thought that you were…I don't know…bored. I figured once you got going on the site and started talking to women you'd be done with me. But then you weren't and you're suddenly telling me something so personal and it…well, it threw me."

Loki jammed his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket and nodded. "I wasn't bored, Jane. That's not why I pursued a friendship with you despite our rather questionable beginning. You're nothing if not honest, especially with me…" He trailed off, not sure how much he should admit. Not sure if he even could. It was one thing to think something about another person, quite another to say it. To make yourself vulnerable. To give them power over you.

Jane was no fool though, she watched him expectantly, waiting for him to finish. Well, he told himself, she had come all the way out here after all. He at least owed her this much.

"I value your opinion, Jane. Not just about…things…" _So very eloquent, Loki,_ he chided himself. "But your opinion of me as well. That's why I told you. I suppose you were right. I did know I was wrong and it's not that I was all that surprised to hear what you thought. I suppose I just wasn't as ready to hear it as I thought I was."

She smiled faintly and pushed her pointer finger and thumb close together and looked through the small space with a squint. "And maybe a small part of you hoped I would feel sorry for you for and justify your actions?"

He chuckled. "Perhaps a small part, yes."

"Loki, it's not that I don't think you got handed a shitty hand as far as your father is concerned. But what you did – living life the way you wanted to, changing schools and your major and following your passion? That takes courage. That's the part I commend you for."

He nodded to her. "You did the same."

"Yes. And it was scary as hell. It wasn't until a year in to this job that I started to feel secure. It took a long time. I thought going against my parents meant I was doomed to fail. But you know, people live their life and make decisions every day and nothing bad happens. And even if it does, they figure it out. So I will figure it out, too. And so will you. Just don't live your life proving your father right. Prove him wrong. Don't you know the best revenge is living well?"

Loki chuckled. "Come on, Foster. Enough inspirational speeches on the sidewalk."

She laughed lightly and fell into step beside him and this time they were both relaxed on the way to his new home.

XXXXXXXXX

Loki's apartment was in a house on one of the tree-lined streets in Harvard Square. It wasn't so much posh as it was cozy. It was bright and airy, with neutral colored walls that Loki explained he was already planning on painting. He had a fireplace, though not a real one, it had bricks inside, but it was the best part of his living room outside of the easel he had set up in the corner of the room. There was a small hallway to a rather small kitchen that had a ton of counter space and a tall table with stools under it overlooking the living room. Loki explained he liked to sit at the table and watch the telly from the kitchen just for a different perspective. Down the hall further were his bedroom and the bathroom, and he explained that he had a washer and dryer in the basement of the building.

"This place is so you. It's like the place I would picture a Harvard professor having. Or, you know, any of the Harvard students that are probably living on this street," Jane told him as she sat down on his leather couch and looked around the living room. "You still have nothing on your walls. I mean, I'm glad to see curtains, but I'd like to see some of your paintings on the walls."

"I'm getting there," he said and sat down beside her. "I'm still not completely unpacked. I have things left in storage to put in here. It was a bit of a crazy week getting just the furniture I needed."

She looked over at him and smiled broadly. "I'm proud of you."

"Thank you," he said softly. "So, uh, you hungry? We could order out? There's this really great Thai place a couple blocks from here."

Jane nodded, that feeling of this all being very surreal returning. She was determined to push through it though. Friends. Her and Loki were _actually_ friends. She could do this. "Sounds great."

XXXXXXXXX

"He sounds boring."

Jane arched a brow and stabbed at a carrot. "Steve is not boring. He's sweet."

Loki looked at her as he swallowed a bit of rice. "That's just a nice way of saying he's boring."

"Nope. I want a sweet guy. I've always thought Th—someone who shall remain nameless was sweet too."

Loki shook his head and sat back in the plastic chair he occupied. Instead of doing actual take out, Jane and Loki had decided to take a leisurely stroll down to the Thai restaurant and then eat there. "Jane, I'm not saying that sweet is a bad thing, but if that is the only way you can really describe a guy then he's boring the hell out of you. You, Jane Foster, need more than 'sweet'. You need a challenge."

"Do I?" She looked amused.

"Yes, you do. You're a passionate woman and you need someone that can meet that passion. You can also be a bit bossy—"

"Hey!"

He just looked at her.

She sighed. "Okay, yes, I can be," she muttered.

"And you like a good debate. You can't debate a 'yes man' which is what Steve sounds like."

"What about he who shall remain nameless?"

Loki shook his head. "He'd bore you, too. I think you'd like someone with a bit more of a dark side."

Jane rolled her eyes. "What, like you?"

Loki knew better than to admit yes, like him, so he just deflected the question and pointed at her with his fork. "Are you planning to meet this eighty-year-old sounding man trapped in a twenty-five-year-olds body?"

"We haven't gotten that far yet. I like the emailing. I mean, he writes complete sentences and actually spells words out. He knows that y-o-u-apostrophe-r-e is 'you are'—"

"So that's what you're judging men by now? Grammar?"

"I always have. Come on, don't tell me it doesn't drive you nuts when some bimbo says 'should of' instead of 'should have'."

Loki smirked. "How do you know who I'm talking to is a bimbo?"

That gave her pause. "Are you talking to someone?"

He shrugged. "Maybe."

"Oh, come on, don't even do that. I helped you write that profile. The least you can do is tell me when you're talking to someone."

He chuckled. "I am. A little."

"And…." She prompted, waving her hand in a 'keep it coming' motion.

"And it's been a hell of a week and I haven't had much time to devote to dating."

She nodded. "Good point. Okay, well, I suppose this means you won't be coming out Friday night with 'the gang'."

He sighed. "Probably not. Are you going?"

"I told Thor I would…"

"But you don't want to."

She frowned. "No, I guess I don't."

"Good. Then we'll do something."

She looked at him. "We will?"

He grinned. "Yep. We will. And I know just the thing…"


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**Chapter Fourteen**

"You're going down, Foster!" Jane heard Loki shout from somewhere across the battle field.

Jane held her breath, afraid to give herself away in any way, and peered around the tree she was currently hiding behind. Loki had managed to "kill off" her teammates, and now it was just him and her. She was determined to get him.

She heard the crack of a branch behind her and gasped. She spun, expecting to find Loki. She saw nothing. Her eyes narrowed and she swiftly moved from the tree to the boulder just a few feet away and crouched down.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are…" she heard Loki sing out into the woods, the playing field, that surrounded them. He was toying with her.

She heard the light tread of feet on leaves and grass and peered around the boulder. No Loki. She looked up and gasped. There he was, grinning down at her with his gun at the ready. Jane didn't think, she just ran. She heard the pop of his gun and out of the corner of her eye saw the paint splatter near her feet narrowly missing her. She ducked behind a tree and forced herself to slow her breathing. Panting would not help her.

"I know you're behind that tree, Foster. Just give up. If you surrender I won't shoot."

"Yeah, right," she retorted.

"I heard that."

"You were supposed to."

He laughed and Jane ran again, again narrowly missing his shots as she ran in zig-zag motion so as to throw him off. It worked.

"Clever little Jane," Loki taunted her when she'd ducked behind another tree. "Aren't you getting tired?"

Tired? No. Her adrenaline was pumping hard. No, Jane wasn't tired. She was determined to win.

"You going to run again?"

He was getting close, Jane could tell. He was ready for her. Ready to shoot as soon as she presented herself and Jane was not going to go down without a fight. So, she heaved a deep breath and jumped out, screaming firing madly, hoping to at least graze him.

She did better than that though.

She actually shot him. Right in the chest.

He gaped at her. Red paint was splattered against his black gear and she whooped.

"You're dead, Loki! Dead! I got you and you're _dead_!" she crowed victoriously.

Loki's shoulders slumped in defeat, but he was grinning nonetheless. "Beginner's luck, Foster. Next time I will not be so kind."

She grinned at him and peeled off her helmet. It was hot under there. "I wouldn't say you were exactly kind this time," she said. "You killed my entire team single-handedly."

Loki peeled off his helmet and gestured for her to follow him back to home base where they could change and hand in their paint ball guns. "So, did you have fun?" he asked her.

She nodded. "I had a blast. I've always wanted to try paint ball, but I just never got around to it."

"Somehow I knew you'd be into it," he said with a knowing grin. "You've got a warrior's spirit, Jane Foster."

She smiled broadly. "A warrior's spirit. I like that."

"I figured you might," Loki said with a chuckle. He didn't mention Thor and the fact that she'd given up a night in his brother's presence to play paintball with the black sheep instead. Loki didn't want Jane to think about Thor or Steve at all. He wanted her attention on him and him alone.

"Loki?"

"Yes, love?"

"Can we eat after we change? I think my stomach is going to eat itself soon."

Loki laughed and slung an arm across Jane's shoulders; he was pleased when she didn't flinch or move away from him. "Of course, darling."

XXXXXXX

One of the things Loki loved about Jane was her appetite. And the fact that she wasn't afraid to have a large one. She actually _ate_. A lot, too. Knowing how well Jane could pack away food, Loki had ordered them two large pizzas and by the time they were done there were only a few slices left. She looked at him sheepishly as she leaned back on his couch and placed her hand over her belly.

"Don't look so guilty. I like that you have an appetite," Loki told her as he cleaned up the pizza boxes. Jane started to get up and he shook his head. "Sit, darling. I'll clean this up. Do you want another beer?"

"Please…though I shouldn't."

"Why not?"

"I'll fall asleep."

He grinned as he looked down at her, pizza boxes in his hands. "Relax, Jane. You are allowed to."

She sighed and got up. "Yeah, I guess I am. I'm just going to wash up."

After, Jane and Loki met back in the living room where Loki put in his own copy of _Seven_. Jane grinned at him and sat back on the couch while Loki sat down beside her.

"Why don't you stretch out?" Loki asked and after contemplating that for a minute, Jane did. The couch was long enough that her feet were not in his lap and Loki gazed down at her and smiled. "This is nice, isn't it?"

She nodded. "We could have been hanging out like this all along if you hadn't been such a dick."

Loki tossed his head back and laughed. "Anyone ever tell you that you're a brat, Foster?"

"You're the first!"

"Good. Do you want a bigger pillow or something?"

"No," she said and yawned. "I'm good."

So good that halfway through the movie she fell asleep. Loki turned away from the movie he had only been half watching anyway and watched her. She was just so lovely. And here. She was actually here with him.

It had taken some time, but their relationship had changed. They could still go toe-to-toe in an argument, but there was a genuine friendship and camaraderie forming between them.

His plan before he'd told Jane his big secret was to Catfish her away from Steve by posing as an interested suitor online. Then, when he pushed for a meeting he would tell her how he felt about her. But now his plans, thanks to Jane, had changed. He didn't want to trick her away from him for he felt that perhaps now he had a real chance with Jane by being her friend and then by degrees, something more. The way to Jane's heart was not through trickery, though he had gotten to this current place using it. From here on out though, he wouldn't do that.

Maybe.

Probably not.

Deep in thought, Loki shut the movie off and went to his linen closet to put a blanket over Jane. He kissed her forehead gently and thought, _I love you, Jane. And one day I will tell you that. _

He then made his way to his bedroom to grab his sketchpad. He wanted to capture the image of Jane sleeping on his couch.

XXXXXXXX

Jane awoke with a moan and a stretch. The scent of pancakes, bacon, and coffee tickled her nose and she blinked her eyes open. She was not at home. She was in Loki's living room.

She looked down. She was on his couch. She bolted upright.

"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."

Jane looked over her shoulder at Loki in the kitchen. He was grinning at her and held up a plate of pancakes. "Just off the griddle. Hungry?"

"I fell asleep," she said.

"You sure did." He sounded downright cheerful.

"I'm sorry."

"Why are you sorry?" he asked. "You were tired."

"You could have woken me to go home."

"Why would I do that? Jane, it's fine."

No, she wanted to say, It's kind of weird. She wasn't sure why exactly, but it just felt odd.

"You're over thinking. Stop it."

She shot him a look. "Would you prefer I under-thought?"

He laughed. "As if that was possible. How do you want your coffee?"

"Cream and sugar," she mumbled and climbed off the couch. She stretched and moaned, working out the kinks and made her way down the hall to the bathroom. When she returned and went into the kitchen she found a plate of pancakes, bacon and coffee waiting for her next to Loki at the kitchen table. She sat and reached for her coffee.

"Thank you," she mumbled.

"Still over thinking?"

She sent him an exasperated look and he chuckled.

Jane dug into her breakfast, thinking how weird this all was. She had never even spent the night at Thor's on his couch. For Jane, falling asleep at someone's house denoted some level of…intimacy. Sleeping was a vulnerable act, and having someone see you first thing in the morning was definitely making yourself vulnerable. It sort of felt as though she and Loki had perhaps solidified a bond between them.

She looked at him as he chewed and found she was struck with the urge to play with the curl that had fallen over his forehead. Adorable, she thought, and that threw her for a loop. Adorable and Loki were not two words she would have ever thought to put together. But there it was. She thought he looked adorable this morning in jeans and a black t-shirt and his hair mussed.

"You're smiling, that's something," he said when he looked over at her.

She looked away. "I was?"

"Yep."

Well then.

"So," Loki asked after a moment of silence. "Have any plans today?"

"I'd like a shower and a change of clothes."

"After that?"

"I…have no plans," she said slowly.

"Good. Now you do."


End file.
